Penstemon 'Aurora'

061-271 Penstemon 'Aurora'
Joy Creek Photo Archive (c) all rights reserved	Penstemon 'Aurora' is a Joy Creek Nursery introduction for 2011. This unusually colored penstemon was found as a seedling in our garden. On the outside the floral tube is rich coral pink fading to white from the lips to the base. In the interior, the coral pink lower lip gives way to a delicate necklace of purple and fades to white with a few distinct guidelines leading into the interior. The way the flowers glow in the light reminded us of the mythical Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn. Aurora is also the name of a utopian community in the nearby Willamette Valley that was founded in 1856. Summer to autumn. 24-28 in. x 12 in. Coral flowers *Sun Zone (7), 8, 9*
All of the garden hybrid Penstemons need full sun and well-drained soil. We mulch the crowns with 1/4-10 crushed gravel which discourages crown rot by letting water drain off the crown quickly. When planting Penstemons we fertilize them only lightly and then never again. Over fertilizing Penstemons promotes the development of lush soft growth which leads to excessive die back in the winter.