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Information by: The Plant Nerd Inc.        Photographer: Janet Rademacher MSN

Description

This perennial grows at a moderate rate, reaching 2'-4' tall and 2'-3' wide. Blue-green leaves form a rosette at the base of the plant. Hot pink flowers appear on spike in the spring. Reseeds easily. Accepts full sun or partial shade. Plant in fall for spring flowers. Attracts hummingbirds. Tender perennial at higher elevations. Native to southern Arizona and Sonora.

Maintenance Tips

Penstemon parryi is a southwest desert native that can reach 2-4' tall and 2-3' wide. It has bright pink, tube-like blossoms that are attractive to pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds. This plant is very drought tolerant and prefers full sun and soil that has good drainage. Flowers will appear on tall stalks for most of the year but will show up in high numbers in the spring and until summer. Throughout the flowering season, just remove flower stalks from the base, as needed, when each stalk has appeared to stop sending out new flowers. In the late summer, you can cut back the foliage by one-third of the current size and remove any additional branches that have died back. This plant can re-seed and can naturalize easily, so you may need to use a pre-emergent to prevent it from spreading throughout your garden.