Penstemons

Penstemons are a straight stalked plant that makes some very pretty flowers. The flowers come in a variety of colors (the ones we have range from a light pink to the deeper red pictured above) and are common in many regions.

When they aren't flowering, they can look (to the uninformed) a bit like a plant that may not belong in the yard. Some refer to such a plant as a weed.

This is what happened to me when I was asked to go out to weed the yard some time ago. All these green things were growing. Some belonged, some did not. Not knowing which was which, I gleefully tossed weeds about like the reaper felling his wheat or a Gatling gun mowing down rows of bloodthirsty savages.

That was when I learned what Penstemons were.

Sometimes we try to get rid of weeds, but we can, if we are not careful, get rid of the flowers too, in our attempt to clean up the yard.