Husker Red Beard Tongue

Other Names: Beardtongue

Ornamental Features:

Husker Red Beard Tongue features beautiful spikes of white tubular flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It's attractive narrow leaves emerge burgundy in spring, turning dark green in colour with distinctive deep purple edges throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant. The deep purple stems are very effective and add winter interest.

Landscape Attributes:

Husker Red Beard Tongue is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance perennial, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Husker Red Beard Tongue is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• Container Planting

Plant Characteristics:

Husker Red Beard Tongue will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 30 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This perennial does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This plant can be propagated by cuttings.

This is a selection of a native North American species.