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Cardinal Penstemon

Penstemon cardinalis

Deep wine-red tubes hang along one side of stiff upright stems over neat basal foliage — among the darkest reds in the genus and a magnet for hummingbirds. A New Mexico mountain species, so it takes real cold as well as drought. Longer-lived than most penstemons where drainage is sharp.

Family

Plantaginaceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

1.5–3 ft

Spacing

1–2 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

neutral

Bloom

May, June, July

Bloom colors

red

Wildlife value

hummingbirds, pollinators

Caterpillar hosts

~8 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

border, naturalizing

Native states

NM, TX