September 12, 2024
We noticed an interesting phenomenon happening with Penstemon NOVA® ‘Pearl’, one of our newer varieties much loved for its innumerous pure white flowers and compact habit. Many of you are probably familiar with sticky cards; yellow glue traps for monitoring or mitigating greenhouse and field pests. Our Penstemon NOVA® ‘Pearl’ are acting like sticky traps! The trichomes on the stems and their exudates are trapping flying pests as they go by! Not only is this a peculiar phenomenon, but it opens up the possibility of using NOVA® ‘Pearl’ as a trap plant or saving on the cost of cards!