Penstemon 'Midnight' (Beard Tongue) - We have grown this durable and attractive bedding Penstemon for nearly 20 years and it still remains one of our most favorite. From the large dark-colored flowers and healthy deep green foliage this long-lived cultivar is sure to please. It is an evergreen perennial or sub-shrub to 3 feet tall with purple-tinged stems heavily clothed with 4 inch long lance-shaped dark green leaves with slight dentations towards the tips. The large trumpet-shaped bluish-purple flowers are 1 1/8 inch long by 1 inch wide with a lavender throat striped in purple (lacks the white common in other cultivars) and purple-tinged dark green calyces. The flowers, up to 7 in a cluster are held on dark-stemmed dense branched terminal inflorescences (cyme). The flowers appear in a succession of flowering peaks from late spring until fall and often appear year-round in coastal gardens. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies into the garden. Plant in full sun along the coast and provide some light shade inland.