The Foxglove Penstemon is a perennial shrub from North America. It's the only member of the Penstemon species which survives winter relatively stable and can be described as hardy. The shrub needs a couple of years to develop its full splendour but then, it's a wonderful, lush decorative plant in the shrub bed. From July, the pale lilac, nearly white blossoms open up and please the eye for approx. 4 weeks. The blossoms stand in panicles and, as a food source, attract many useful insects.
However, not only the blossoms are an adornment: Also to be highlighted is the strikingly coloured foliage of the shrub. The long, lance-shaped leaves impress with a beautiful, reddish, slightly bronze colour shade, which can change to a bright red in autumn. Equally decorative appear the seed pods. The inflorescences as well as the seed pods are well-suitable as cut flowers for the vase.
The variety 'Mystica' is well-suited for solitary placement or group planting in near-natural gardens, prairie gardens, or simply in herbaceous borders. Good neighbours are roses, catnip, phlox, baby's breath, coneflower, or also herb Robert.
The indigenous peoples of North America also know the foxglove penstemon as a medicinal plant, which was primarily used against tooth aches.
Perennial shrub. Cold germination: Direct sowing outdoors possible in autumn or early spring or preculture from February. The seeds need a considerable cold period before they germinate.
Herefore, the seeds are mixed with slightly moist sowing substrate (coconut soil is especially suitable) and wrapped in plastic bags.
As the plastic bags are waterproof, re-moisturizing usually isn't necessary. In the following, the filled bags are put into an approx. 20°C warm location for 2-4 weeks. Then, the bags go into the fridge. Herefore, the fridge has to be set as cold as possible: 5°C or slightly less is ideal. The seeds should be checked regularly (once per week) and, as soon as germination begins, sown in pots as usual. Many seeds germinate after 1-2 months of cold.
Other names
| Botanical name: |
Penstemon digitalis |
| English names: |
Penstemon, Foxglove Penstemon, Smooth Penstemon, Beard Tongue |
| Dutch names: |
Slangenkop, Schildpadbloem |
| Polish names: |
Penstemon Palczasty, Penstemon Naparstnicowy |
| Swedish names: |
Fingerborgshatt |
