Shonnard’s Nursery
Plant Finder Tool

perennial

Cha Cha™ Cherry Beard Tongue

Penstemon 'Cha Cha Cherry'

Add To My Wish List

 
Cha Cha Cherry Beard Tongue (Penstemon 'Cha Cha Cherry') at Shonnard's Nursery

Cha Cha™ Cherry Beard Tongue flowers

Cha Cha™ Cherry Beard Tongue flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  28 inches

Spacing:  18 inches

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  6b

Other Names:  Beardtongue

Brand:  Terra Nova Nurseries

Description:

A vigorous selection, presenting vibrant, dark cherry red flowers with striped white throats; upright, bushy habit with dark green foliage to contrast the blooms; great for border fronts and along walkways; remove spent stems to encourage repeat blooming

Ornamental Features

Cha Cha™ Cherry Beard Tongue has masses of beautiful spikes of cherry red tubular flowers with white throats rising above the foliage from late spring to early fall, which emerge from distinctive red flower buds, and which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season. The dark red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Cha Cha™ Cherry Beard Tongue is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Cha Cha™ Cherry Beard Tongue is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • Rock/Alpine Gardens
  • Border Edging
  • General Garden Use
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Cha Cha™ Cherry Beard Tongue will grow to be about 22 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 22 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Cha Cha™ Cherry Beard Tongue is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Massing  Rock  Edging  Garden  Container 
Applications
Flowers  Texture  Bark  Attracts Wildlife 
Ornamental Features