Penstemon ‘Husker Red’ is a popular garden perennial known for its distinctive deep red to maroon foliage and elegant spires of white flowers with a hint of pink. It provides visual interest even when not in bloom. Companion planting, the strategic placement of different plant species near each other, enhances its beauty and fosters a healthier, more resilient garden ecosystem.
Understanding Penstemon Husker Red
Penstemon ‘Husker Red’, a cultivar of Penstemon digitalis, thrives in full sun, requiring at least six hours of direct sunlight daily for its foliage to achieve its most intense burgundy color. It prefers well-drained soil, tolerating average to lean conditions, including sandy or loamy soils, and even clay if drainage is good. While it needs regular watering until established, this plant exhibits moderate drought tolerance once mature, making it suitable for water-wise landscapes. Typically, ‘Husker Red’ grows 2 to 3 feet (75-90 cm) tall and spreads about 1 to 2 feet (37-45 cm) wide, forming an upright, clump-forming habit. It is hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 9.
Choosing Compatible Companion Plants
Selecting companion plants for Penstemon ‘Husker Red’ involves considering horticultural compatibility and aesthetic appeal. Plants should share similar environmental needs, including full sun and well-drained soil, to ensure all thrive. Choosing plants with comparable water requirements, especially those that are also drought-tolerant once established, is also important.
Aesthetic considerations are crucial for creating a cohesive and visually pleasing garden. Look for plants that offer complementary colors, textures, and forms to highlight ‘Husker Red’s’ attributes. Contrasting foliage colors, such as silvery grays or vibrant greens, can make its deep burgundy stand out. Varying bloom times among companion plants will extend the garden’s season of interest, providing continuous color and texture. Companion plants can also offer practical benefits, like attracting a wider range of pollinators or deterring common garden pests.
Specific Companion Plant Recommendations
Several plants serve as excellent companions for Penstemon ‘Husker Red’. Ornamental grasses, such as ‘Karl Foerster’ Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’), provide vertical contrast with their fine texture and upright form, complementing ‘Husker Red’s’ habit. Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’) offers burgundy foliage that harmonizes with ‘Husker Red’s’ leaves, creating a unified color.
Perennials like Salvia ‘May Night’ (Salvia nemorosa) with its deep blue or purple spikes, or Catmint (Nepeta faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’), featuring lavender-blue blooms, provide a striking color contrast to the white flowers and dark foliage of ‘Husker Red’. Both are drought-tolerant and attract pollinators. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) adds daisy-like blooms that complement Penstemon’s form and attract beneficial insects. Coral Bells (Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’) can echo ‘Husker Red’s’ dark foliage, enhancing the rich color scheme.
Sedum varieties, such as ‘Autumn Joy’, offer succulent foliage and late-season blooms that follow ‘Husker Red’s’ earlier flowering. Lavender and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) are also good choices, offering textural variety and additional pollinator appeal. Ornamental Alliums provide spherical flower heads that contrast with the spiky form of Penstemon ‘Husker Red’.
Designing and Maintaining Your Companion Garden
When integrating companion plants with Penstemon ‘Husker Red’, strategic placement is key for visual impact and plant health. Space plants appropriately, typically 18 to 24 inches apart for ‘Husker Red’, to allow for mature growth. Layering plants by height, with taller specimens like ‘Husker Red’ towards the middle or back of a bed and shorter companions in front, creates depth and ensures all plants receive sufficient sunlight.
Maintaining a companion garden with ‘Husker Red’ is straightforward due to their shared growing preferences. Water thoroughly during establishment, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. Once established, supplemental watering is generally only needed during prolonged dry spells. Fertilization is rarely required, as ‘Husker Red’ thrives in lean soils. Deadheading spent Penstemon flowers can encourage a tidier appearance and potentially a second flush of blooms.