Hi, I got this plant 'over the garden gate' probably 15 years ago. I have propagated it and passed it on many times, but I don't know what it is, and neither did the neighbor. I have been calling it a penstemmon, but I really don't know if that is it. The flowers are pink, on tall stems (16-18"). In my New England garden it blooms in May-June. The leaves form a rosette only 5-6" tall of spikey foliage. It spreads very slowly. ?Penstemmon? ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) Shot of foliage, maybe 6" tall ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) As you can see this mystery plant is very pretty ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden )
This does not look familiar to me, but I don't think it is pennstemmon, either. My pennstemmon is just now flowering and the foliage is not that strappy. It is more round.
The leaves look like the German Catchfly but I can't tell about the blooms. Lychnis viscaria (German Catchfly, Sticky Catchfly)
Netty, Carolyn, & Toni, Thank you so much for your help. You are right it is not penstemmon, it is one of the Lychnis viscarias. I checked out some photos, and there was my plant. What cynched it was reading that the stems are sticky. My 'penstemmon' has sticky stems too. So I have liked this plant so much that I have been looking to buy relatives of it. But, of course, looking among the penstemmons, to no avail. Now I know where to look! Thanks guys.
