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The Penstemon (also known as the beard tongue) is native to North and Central America and belongs to the family Scrophulariaceae, which contains over a hundred genera including Antirrhinum (Snapdragons) and Digitalis (Foxgloves).  Many sites, therefore, appear to be in The USA and do not really concentrate on the European hybrids which flourish with such beauty, alongside their American counterparts, in many of our gardens.  These glorious plants range in colour from pure white to bright red, deep purple, bright blue, pale pink and even yellow.  They are, with few exceptions, easy to cultivate and propagate giving a display of colour from late Spring to the early frosts.  

I hope to give as much help as possible within these pages and I am always pleased to hear from fellow growers, critics and the merely curious.  So please if you have any suggestions, comments or ideas don't hesitate to contact me, I do try to answer all e-mails within a couple of days so please be a little patient.

I would also be grateful for suggestions as to additions to the growers, bibliography and National Collections lists.