A flower of rare beauty and toughness, hairy penstemon keeps a soft pink complexion while triumphing over difficult soils. Eroding shale slopes make up the valley walls along many NE Ohio rivers, and hairy penstemon is one of the few plants to call these slopes home. Where thin pockets of soil develop along the cliffs and rocky hillsides, this plant can be found with other intrepid species like broomsedge grass, tall boneset, and early goldenrod. This plant’s extreme niche translates to extreme usefulness for those looking to garden in an especially drought-prone part of the yard. Hairy penstemon can grow in sandy, rocky, or clayey soil, as long as the location doesn’t pool water following storms. In terms of sunlight needs, hairy penstemon is surprisingly adaptable to partial shade, but it will flower to a greater extent in full sun. Though not an aggressive plant, hairy penstemon will spread through seed and short rhizomes to form a robust clump, and when in flower it can be quite showy. If a patch of hairy penstemon becomes larger than desired, it can easily be divided in fall or early spring. The plant’s mature growth is avoided by deer and rabbits, but its early shoots may be grazed and should therefore be protected in places of intense browse pressure. Hairy penstemon’s June bloom is most welcome in the garden, creating continuity from the early spring to summer seasons. Companion plants with a similar bloom time include Ohio spiderwort, sundrops, and smooth penstemon. Topping out at 2’, hairy penstemon is a versatile landscaping choice, well suited for the front of a garden bed or a planting focused on shorter meadow species. Hairy penstemon is a valuable plant for pollinators, especially because it provides floral resources at a point in the growing season when those resources are hard to come by. The plant’s main visitors are hover flies, small carpenter bees, mason bees, and bumble bees. Plant hairy penstemon to transform a barren part of the yard into a bee banquet. References: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.
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