Penstemon hirsutus

Hairy Beardtongue

• Full sun to light shade
• Average to dry soils
• 18" to 24" tall and wide
• Early Summer Blooms
• Garden, meadow and woodland settings

This dainty wildflower steals the show every June in my urban Ottawa garden. Perfectly tidy, clump forming and blooming for 3 to 4 weeks, they fit equally well into conventional flower gardens and into low wildflower meadows. Their foliage and seed heads remain tidy through the summer and their foliage turns brilliant red in late autumn. Even seed saving is simple with the pods holding the tiny seeds through the drying stage when they can be clipped and upended into a container, falling free of the pods without any extra coaxing.
Prefers a sunny location and average soil and moisture. Grows to between 18" and 24" tall and wide.