Husker Red Penstemon
Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'
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Husker Red Penstemon - Premium #1 Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
| From | To | S&H |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
| $20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
| $50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
| $70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
| $100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
| $130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
| $150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
| 4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
| 4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
| 6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
| 1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
| 5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
| #1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
| 5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| #2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
| #3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| #5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
| #6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
| #7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Husker Red Penstemon
Plant Highlights
Husker Red Penstemon highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Sun
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateMedium
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Pollinator Friendly
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Pollinator Required
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Pruning Time
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Bloom PeriodLate Spring, Summer
Growing Zones 3-8
Penstemon Husker Red (Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red') is one of the most popular members of the Penstemon family! It even won Perennial of the Year! The colorful tubular bell-shaped flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds in droves. The flowers range from pure white to a lovely pale pink, both of which contrast nicely with the maroon-tinged stems and leaves which give this plant its name!
Even after the spring-early summer flowers fade, the foliage stays lush through summer's heat. Beardtongue provides a nice early flowering display and the foliage slowly darkens and reddens over the season to provide continual interest. Incredible focal points in bouquets these showy flower spikes shoot up from rounded clumps of glossy green leaves and are blushed with dramatic purple overtones and dark seed heads for fall interest.
Hardy and adapted, Beardtongue are native American plants that grow wild on roadsides, by train tracks, and in meadows. If they will survive in those conditions, imagine how well they will do in your USDA growing zone 3 through 8 yards, regardless of size!
Planting and Application:
These are prime pollinator border and cut flower garden additions, and add upright form and texture to Perennial beds and Cottage Gardens! Ideal additions to a Wildflower garden, updated Prairie, or naturalized-looking modern Meadow planting! The native form of this plant is a larval Host Plant for many types of pollinators! Use as a tall thriller and focal point in large containers and half-whiskey barrel planters, you will love having these bold blooms close by!
Perfect for Fire-wise landscaping and Rock gardening, these showy and low-maintenance plants look incredible when planted in mass. These are tough and easy to grow, and tolerate a wide variety of conditions - including xeriscaping, hot dry sites, and along sunny pathways and hell-strip locations!
- White Spikes of Flowers Darken to Pinkish-Maroon
- Dramatic Greenish-Purple Foliage Color
- Upright Mounding Herbaceous Perennial
- Low Care & Hardy Native Selections
- Pollinator-Friendly & Attracts Hummingbirds
- Specimen, Rock Gardens, Borders & Container Plants
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Penstemon flower best in full sun and in well-drained soil conditions, preferring average soil types on the lean side. Provide regular moisture access throughout their first year, and avoid soils that are too moist, though, as Husker Red will drown. But these tough perennials are drought-resistant once it's established and waterwise!
Mulch around their crowns well. Very cold tolerant, you can leave these seed heads as winter interest and attract songbirds, or deadhead them to tidy up the mounds in fall. Prune back the foliage in late fall after frost, and to maintain vigor, divide every few years.
- Blooms Best in Full Sun
- Average Fertility & Well-Drained Sandy Soil
- Regular to Low Moisture & Appreciates Mulch
- Xeric & Drought-Tolerant Once Established
- Deer & Rabbit-Resistant
This plant makes a stunning display with its brilliant pink and white flowers against a backdrop of deep red foliage! This all-star Penstemon will be your new favorite garden thriller! So hurry and order today at NatureHills.com!
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Customer Reviews
I purchased from Nature Hills Nursery for the first time. I wasn’t able to find a “Husker Red Penstemon” at any farmers’ market in NYC where I live. I know online purchases of plants can sometimes be “iffy” so was very pleased when I received an extremely healthy, lush plant which exceeded my expectations. It arrived in short order, as promised. I didn’t think to take a photo when received because I wasn’t thinking about posting a review at the time; I planted it a couple weeks after receipt (my photos). When received the plant had no flowers (as expected since delicate flowers wouldn’t survive shipment) but in two weeks the plant has already grown 2-3 inches and is nicely blooming, a very happy plant! (I think it’s reddish undertones will go nicely with the sand cherry beside it in the years ahead.) I plan to purchase more from Nature Hills Nursery in the future.
