Penstemon 'Firebird' | Red Beardtongue | Long Blooming Perennial | Drought Tolerant 1 Gallon Plant

Bring vibrant color and pollinator activity to your garden with Penstemon 'Firebird', a striking semi-evergreen perennial prized for its brilliant crimson-red flowers and exceptionally long bloom season. This classic Beardtongue produces tall spikes of tubular blooms from mid-summer through fall, attracting hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies while thriving in sunny, well-drained gardens.

Its upright habit, dark green foliage, and wine-red stems make it an excellent choice for cottage gardens, pollinator borders, and drought-tolerant landscapes.

Key Features

• Botanical Name: Penstemon 'Firebird' (Penstemon 'Schoenholzeri')
• Common Name: Firebird Beardtongue
• Life Cycle: Semi-Evergreen Perennial
• Flower Color: Crimson Red with White Throats
• Foliage: Dark Green
• Plant Height: 24–36 inches
• Spread: 18–24 inches
• Bloom Season: Mid-Summer through Fall
• Growth Habit: Upright, Bushy Clump
• Light Requirements: Full Sun
• Water Needs: Low once established
• Hardiness Zones: 5–9
• Features: Pollinator-Friendly, Drought Tolerant, Deer Resistant, Long Blooming

Garden Uses

✔ Pollinator and Hummingbird Gardens
✔ Cottage Gardens and Mixed Borders
✔ Drought-Tolerant Landscapes
✔ Container Plantings
✔ Prairie and Naturalistic Gardens
✔ Cut Flower Gardens

Planting Partners

Pair with:

• Echinacea – Long-lasting blooms and pollinator appeal
• Salvia – Contrasting flower spikes and color
• Coreopsis – Bright yellow flowers complement red blooms
• Russian Sage – Soft lavender-blue contrast
• Lavender – Fragrant foliage and drought tolerance

Care Tips

• Plant in full sun for the best flowering.
• Prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soil.
• Water regularly during establishment; drought tolerant afterward.
• Deadhead spent blooms to encourage additional flowering.
• Cut back stems in early spring to encourage vigorous new growth.
• Avoid overly wet winter soils.

Plant Condition Disclosure

Live plants may be shipped dormant, leafless, recently pruned, bare root, or partially defoliated depending on season, weather, and shipping requirements.

Natural variation in size, branching, foliage density, color, root structure, and overall appearance should be expected.

Important Note

You will receive a live starter plant (seedling/young plant). Listing photos show the plant at a mature stage for reference only. The actual plant size, shape, and appearance may vary and will be significantly smaller than the images shown.

Customer Notice for Live Plants

Live plants may experience normal shipping stress such as leaf loss, yellowing, wilting, or minor branch damage.

Please consider local weather before purchasing. Extreme heat, freezing temperatures, severe weather, shipping delays, or unattended packages may increase plant stress.

Due to the perishable nature of live plants, returns are generally not accepted. If there is an issue with your order, please contact us within 48 hours of delivery and provide the required photos for review.

• Photos of the shipping box
• Photo of the shipping label
• Clear photos of the plant from multiple angles
• Scratch test photos if the plant appears dead or dormant

Dormant, stressed, defoliated, wilted, or transit-shocked plants are not automatically considered dead.

Claims submitted without the required photos or more than 48 hours after delivery may not be eligible for review, replacement, or refund.