penstemons, popular for its abundant flowering, forms a large group of garden perennials. Native species (in nature there are about them 270) grown in culture comes from different habitats of Sev. Of America, such as grass prairies, bright forests, but also semi-deserts and alpine positions. The diversity of cultivated dragons has grown with the efforts of garden breeders since the second half. 19. stol. a number of new cultivars.
Habitem is a low to medium-growing perennial herb or semi-evergreen shrubs with accommodating or superficially arranged, usually oblong leaves. Striking multicolored flowers (whose typical tubular funnel-shaped shape suggests, that the genus is classified, just like our foxglove, to the family Scrophulariaceae) they are arranged in terminal lattice or grape inflorescences. The color of the flowers is characterized by a different mixture of whites, pink, red, blue and purple shades. Flowering by species takes place from April to September.
Penstemon serrulatus Albus 
Penstemon strictus 
Penstemon virgatus arizonicus 
Penstemon x mexicali Sunburst Ruby 
In the foreground P.barbatus praecox nanus ´Rondo´ , vzdadu P.digitalis ´Husker red Strain´ 
Penstemon barbatus praecox nanus ´Rondo´
We plant dragons on warmer ones, open or semi-shady habitats. They suit them lighter, humus rich, in some species alkaline, but mostly neutral to weakly acidic soils. These are rather short-lived plants (3-5let), in our conditions with satisfactory frost resistance (in winter, without snow cover protecting the plants, they may freeze). Dragons reproduce relatively easily by sowing seeds, but especially cultivars need to be cut.
Penstemon heterophyllus ´Zuriblau´ 
Penstemon grandiflorus ´War Axe´ 
Penstemon eatonii A. Gray 
Penstemon digitalis ´Husker Red´ 
Penstemon digitalis ´Husker Red Strain´ 
Penstemon campanulatus
In the gardens, dragons find various uses. In classic flower beds, it fills the space between tall perennials, where medium-sized species fit well. Hybrid cultivars with large inflorescences, e.g.. ‘Memory of Friedrich Hahn’, "Schoenholzeri", 'Rubicunda', ‘Thorn’, ‘Evelyn’, ‘Hidcote Pink’, originating from crosses P. hartwegii s P. guinea pig a P. campanulatus. Another group, rather lower cultivars, then comes from P. barbatus (e.g. Pinacolada series) a P. heterophyllus (e.g. ‘Blue Gem’, ‘Haevenly Blue’) or P. × mexicali. The original species fit better into the natural parts of the gardens, e.g. P. digitalis (‘Husker Red’), P. grandiflorus (‘War Axe’), P. ovatus, P. smallii, P. spectabilis, P. serrulatus, P. strictus, P. virgatus. Pillow-growing species such as. P. hirsutus ‘Pygmaeus’, P. pinifolius, can be planted in rockeries or dry walls.