Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Flowering Plants
Vegetable
Origin
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, North-Central United States, Central United States
Central America, Mexico
Types
Penstemon
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
153
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Fields, open Woodlands, Wood Margins
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-87-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Red
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Red
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Red
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance-shaped to oblong
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Root Division, Seedlings, Softwood cuttings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Complete balanced fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Root rot
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Mild Allergen
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Wild gardens
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Tooth ache
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON digitalis 'Husker Red'
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Husker Red Penstemon, Talus Slope Penstemon
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Talus Slope Penstemon
Mousemelon
In German
Gehängeschutt Penstemon
Maus Melone
In French
Talus Slope Penstemon
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Astrágalo pendiente Penstemon
Mousemelon
In Greek
Αστράγαλος Κλίση Penstemon
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Talus Penstemon Slope
melão rato
In Polish
Talus Slope Penstemon
mysz melona
In Latin
Talus Clivo Persicaria
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Scrophulariales
Cucurbitales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
28050
1
27800
👆🏻