Penstemon 'Andenken an Friedrick Han'
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BEARD TONGUE
syn. P. 'Garnet'
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Pronounced: pen-STAY-mon
GROWING GUIDE
Geographic Origin:
Garden.
Plant Group:
Perennial.
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USDA zones: 8-10.
Mature size: Height: 30 inches (75 cm).
Width: 24 inches (75 cm).
Flowering period: Midsummer to mid autumn.
Flowering attributes: Tubular,r bell-shaped, wine-red flower.
Leaf attributes: Evergreen, narrow leaf.
Growth habit: Clump-forming.
Light: Full sun.
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil.
Feeding: I keep penstemons on the lean side, because they tend to live longer if not over fertilized. Side-dress with compost or manures in fall. Feed in spring with a complete organic fertilizer.
Propagation Methods: Divide in late spring. | Softwood cuttings in spring.
Pruning Methods: Deadhead as flowers fade to prolong blooming; cut back to lateral flowers or buds. Later cut old flowering stems back to basal foliage. The foliage will remain evergreen through winter.
Rainy Side Notes
Penstemon 'Andenken an Friedrich Hahn' is one of the oldest hybrid penstemons. Bred in 1918, it is still one of the best penstemons to grow. Its parent, P. 'Southgate Gem,' was a very popular plant back in the early 1900s. It was a short-lived perennial, so the Swiss breeder, Hermann Wartmann, crossed it with either P. hirsutus or P. campanulatus. According to the oldest reference found, it’s more than likely the parentage is P. campanulatus, since it’s an easier cross to make between the species.
This cultivar has been the most successful penstemon ever introduced. Most often sold as 'Garnet' in the Northwest, it’s a handsome evergreen plant. In my garden the perennial looks great planted in a drift of seven plants. It has lived in my garden with little maintenance for over seven years, and it’s still growing strong.
A hummingbird magnet, our migratory Rufus hummingbird stakes his claim and jealously guards it, chasing other hummingbirds away. Bees are also attracted to this Penstemon.
Debra Teachout-Teashon
Photographed in author's garden.
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