For a Small and Colorful Penstemon, Try Dakota Burgundy
Dark leaves + bright flowers
Dakota Burgundy is a cultivar of North America–native Penstemon digitalis that pairs near-black leaves with lavender-purple flowers in an overall package that’s smaller than the comparable ‘Dark Towers’. Its adaptability and compact size make it an easy fit at the front of beds and borders, where we can admire both the plant and the hummingbirds it attracts.
Penstemons are very tolerant of drought once established, and the species P. digitalis is particularly easy to grow across a range of climates. Dakota Burgundy also resists deer and lends fall interest with shiny dark seedheads.
Common name: Dakota Burgundy beardstongue
Botanical name: Penstemon digitalis ‘TNPENDB’
Exposure: Full sun
Flowers: Blooming in early summer, the flowers are tubular in shape and light violet in color. They face outward and come packed along the top portion of upright stems. Penstemon flowers are known to attract hummingbirds.
Foliage: Long, broad foliage forms a dense clump at the base of the plant. The leaves are a very dark wine-purple, nearly black. They hold their color throughout the growing season.
Habit: Dakota Burgundy penstemon makes an upright mound of leaves to 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide. The flowers rise to a height double that of the foliage.
Origins: The species Penstemon digitalis is a tap-rooted semi-evergreen perennial native to prairies, open woods and damp depressions east of the Mississippi. The species has green leaves and white flowers, but cultivars in different colors have been developed.
Growing notes: As expected of its species, this cultivar can cope with a range of soils, from wet to dry. Ideally, plant it in average, well-drained soil, but it’s worth trying in other conditions. It needs full sun to produce its best foliage color and heaviest flowering. Cut the old stems back to six inches in early spring. USDA Zones 3–8.
Image courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
