I've been somewhat underwhelmed by Dark Tower.....didn't flower at all last year, hasn't got as tall as I expected, was the only one of my penstemons to be hit by greenfly. Not sure I'll continue to give it a space in the border.
Awful like meaning awfully like - not awful, like....😊I have husker. . husker has fairly large brown leaves(the same colour as the leaves of the begonia that you used to get in parks) and small, insignificant flowers. It's really quite weedy - looking. Hopefully, the one you have is a better variety. I will post a picture of my husker. I've allowed it to get swamped by other plants. Edit: it doesn't look so bad this year. Perhaps it needs to be swamped. First time I've actually looked at it this year. I will revise my opinion and say it's not a stand alone plant
Here's a pic of one of my specimens of Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red Strain’. I find it blends rather well with the colour of the Clematis ‘Samaritan Jo’ in the background. What I don't know yet is how long is its flowering season.
Husker Red and similar types seem to need a bit more moisture than usual penstemons, my mum's got mildew and disappeared (planted in a rather dry sunny spot with minimal TLC!)
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Posts
https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/penstemon-digitalis-husker-red/classid.2000016481/
As l have never grown it in my own garden, l can't comment on the veracity of the statement "a waste of space", but each to their own.
I will post a picture of my husker. I've allowed it to get swamped by other plants.
Edit: