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Plantaginaceae
Penstemon (Beardtongue)
Penstemon
Passionate kindness, generosity, courage.
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Genus
- Penstemon
- Native to
- North America, Northeast Asia
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Summer
- Type
- herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 30–120 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Well-drained, lean to average
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 3–9 (varies)
- Lifespan
- Short-lived perennial
Did you know
- Penstemon is the largest genus of flowering plants endemic to North America, with around 280 species.
- The common name 'beardtongue' comes from the fuzzy infertile fifth stamen ('staminode') sticking out of each flower like a tongue.
- Penstemons range from tiny alpine cushions to nearly 2-meter-tall border plants — there's a species for almost every climate.
- They're a favorite of hummingbirds; the tubular flowers evolved specifically to attract long-billed pollinators.
- Native peoples used penstemon roots as a poultice for snake bites and wounds.