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Plantaginaceae
Beard Tongue
Penstemon digitalis
Communication and expressiveness.
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Genus
- Penstemon
- Native to
- Eastern North America
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 2-5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- well-drained, average
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 3-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The name 'beardtongue' refers to a fuzzy, sterile stamen (the fifth one) that sticks out of the flower like a hairy tongue.
- Penstemon is the largest genus of flowering plants endemic to North America, with over 250 species.
- The tubular flowers are perfectly shaped for long-tongued bees and hummingbirds.
- The cultivar 'Husker Red' won the Perennial Plant of the Year award in 1996, bringing beardtongues to mainstream gardening.
- Native Americans used penstemon root tea to treat toothaches and used crushed leaves as a poultice for snakebites.
Color meanings
0
eloquence
1
open communication