Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Penstemon eatonii
Firecracker Penstemon
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Height
- 2 ft to 4 ft
- Width
- 1 ft to 2 ft
- Flower color
- Brilliant scarlet red tubular flowers borne in tall upright spikes
- Foliage color
- Blue green lance shaped leaves forming a basal rosette and upright stems
- Bloom time
- Late spring to early summer
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low once established
- Maintenance
- Low; remove spent flower stalks and avoid excessive winter moisture
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Wildlife
- Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and pollinators attracted to nectar rich flowers
About this plant
Penstemon eatonii produces tall spikes of brilliant scarlet-red tubular flowers in late spring to early summer, creating a colorful display that is especially attractive to hummingbirds. Narrow, lance-shaped leaves are blue-green and form a dense basal clump. The flowers are arranged in whorls along upright spikes, opening sequentially over an extended period and adding vertical texture and movement to the garden.
Native to the southwestern United States, particularly the Rocky Mountain and Great Basin regions, this species is adapted to open slopes and desert foothills. It is well suited to pollinator gardens, naturalistic plantings, and dry borders, where its vivid flowers and upright habit provide seasonal color and valuable wildlife support.
Works well in
Borders · Sun Gardens · Pollinator Gardens · Hummingbird Gardens · Waterwise Gardens
Companion plants
Shasta daisies · Asters · Catmint · Coreopsis · Bearded irises · Bee balm
Design tip
Summer flowers carry the middle of the season, so place it where the bed needs color once spring bulbs fade. Give it open sun and room to fill out, and repeat it in threes or fives so the planting reads as one sweep instead of scattered dots.
