Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Shrub
Origin
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, North-Central United States, Central United States
South Africa
Types
Penstemon
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Number of Varieties
157
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Fields, open Woodlands, Wood Margins
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-89-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
9-1
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
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm365.76 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Red
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Red
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Red
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance-shaped to oblong
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Root Division, Seedlings, Softwood cuttings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Fertilizers
Complete balanced fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Root rot
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
Mild Allergen
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Wild gardens
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Tooth ache
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Root
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON digitalis 'Husker Red'
BERZELIA lanuginosa
Common Name
Husker Red Penstemon, Talus Slope Penstemon
Buttonbush
In Hindi
Talus Slope Penstemon
Buttonbush shrub
In German
Gehängeschutt Penstemon
Button Strauch
In French
Talus Slope Penstemon
buttonbush arbuste
In Spanish
Astrágalo pendiente Penstemon
arbusto buttonbush
In Greek
Αστράγαλος Κλίση Penstemon
Buttonbush θάμνος
In Portuguese
Talus Penstemon Slope
arbusto Buttonbush
In Polish
Talus Slope Penstemon
Buttonbush krzew
In Latin
Talus Clivo Persicaria
Frutex Buttonbush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Scrophulariales
Rubiales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Bruniaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Cephalanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
28012
1
27800
👆🏻