Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Shrub
Origin
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, North-Central United States, Central United States
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Penstemon
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Number of Varieties
15-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Fields, open Woodlands, Wood Margins
Desert, Lower slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-812-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-10
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
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm270.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Red
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Red
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Red
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance-shaped to oblong
Rosette
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Root Division, Seedlings, Softwood cuttings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Needs very little water
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Complete balanced fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Root rot
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Mild Allergen
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Wild gardens
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Tooth ache
-
Part of Plant Used
Root
Leaves
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON digitalis 'Husker Red'
DASYLIRION texanum
Common Name
Husker Red Penstemon, Talus Slope Penstemon
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
In Hindi
Talus Slope Penstemon
sotol
In German
Gehängeschutt Penstemon
Dasylirion texanum
In French
Talus Slope Penstemon
sotol
In Spanish
Astrágalo pendiente Penstemon
sotol
In Greek
Αστράγαλος Κλίση Penstemon
sotol
In Portuguese
Talus Penstemon Slope
sotol
In Polish
Talus Slope Penstemon
sotol
In Latin
Talus Clivo Persicaria
sotol
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Scrophulariales
Liliales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Dasylirion
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
280300
1
27800
👆🏻