Firecracker Penstemon

This showy penstemon has lush, pointed, dark- green foliage that grows into a mounded shape to one to two feet tall and two to three feet wide. In late winter through the spring, it develops two feet tall clusters of tubular, bright red flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It is hardy to zero degrees Fahrenheit and is also drought resistant. After blooming, it spreads seeds that propagate into new plants. This plant is relatively low-maintenance but will need to be cut to the ground every few years. Collect seed from spent seed stalks yearly to sow in the ground and create new plants. Plant it in full sun where there is good drainage. Provide protection from rabbits when setting out new plants. Use it in wildflower gar- dens and desert landscapes with other flowering and perennial plants. It can also be used in butterfly, bird, and hummingbird gardens. This penstemon is native to the rocky slopes of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Mexico, growing at 2,000 to 7,000 feet in elevation.