Scientific Name:
Penstemon barbatus
(incl. hybrid cvs.)
Pronunciation:
pen-STEE-mun bar-BAY-tuss
Common Name:
beard tongue
Family Name:
Plantaginaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Basal mound of dark, narrow leaves with floral stalks rising above that support hanging tubular flowers.
Habit:
Arching, Open, Spreading, Upright
Form:
Mounded
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Garden origin, U.S. - northwest, U.S. - southwest
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low, Summer dry
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Attract birds, Attract butterflies, Bedding plant, Container planting, Cut flower or foliage, Fall interest, Ground cover, Group or mass planting, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include P. 'Boysenberry Taffy', P. ‘Midnight’, P. ‘Mother of Pearl’, or P. 'Prairie Dusk’.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite, Sessile
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Lanceolate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Entire, Serrulate
Inflorescence Type:
Thyrse, Floriferous, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Violet, Purple, Pink, Magenta, Red, Dark-red (Cvs: 'Firebird' is red, 'Midnight' is dark purple, 'Mother of Pearl' is white, 'Passion' is red, Pike's Peak is purple, and 'Prairie Dusk' has rose purple blooms)
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Not showy
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Propagation:
Seed, Softwood cuttings, Layering
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Slugs or snails (Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
