Red Rocks® penstemon is a herbaceous perennial hybrid cultivar that is a cross between a Mexican and California species giving it larger flowers and better cold hardiness. Penstemons need average well-drained soil in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. They do not like soggy wet winter soils. The deep taproot makes them drought-tolerant but hard to transplant. The plants form a bushy mound of attractive dark green foliage and the red tubular flowers appear in clusters in spring with repeat blooming through fall. They are deer and drought resistant and attractive to pollinators and hummingbirds. The foliage is semievergreen. Use in the native/pollinator garden or meadow setting to add color throughout the season. They can also be grown in a container or a rock garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Root rots, fungal leaf spots, and rust when grown in damp or humid conditions
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.