Penstemon digitalis

The puffy white flowers of smooth penstemon usher in the growing season with a burst of fun and energy. Blooming during a late spring lull in wildflower displays, the plant is especially useful for bees as well as garden aesthetics. Frequent bee visitors include small sweat bees and bumble bees.

Native to meadows, woodland openings, and riparian forest edges, smooth penstemon is adaptable to a variety of growing conditions. In the garden, it will do well under partial shade or full sun and soil moisture ranging from moderately wet to moderately dry. Although it tolerates occasional water saturation, it will fare better in a well-drained soil, and it is fairly drought tolerant.

A robust but non-aggressive plant, smooth penstemon spreads via short rhizomes to form a hardy cluster but does not travel far and wide. The flower display from a thriving patch of smooth penstemon can be quite luxurious. To complement the plant’s bloom, plant with Ohio spiderwort and narrow-leaved sundrops. In the fall, smooth penstemon's foliage turns a handsome burgundy color. Although generally resistant to deer herbivory, this foliage may be occasionally browsed, especially early in the season when the plant is small.

References: 1,2,3,4,5,6.

Photo 1 by Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photos 2 and 4 by Ashley Keesling. Photo 3 by Julie Slater.