FOXGLOVE BEARDTONGUE

Penstemon digitalis

Foxglove beard-tongue, Penstemon digitalis  is a perennial flowering plant in the plantain family. Its tall, showy flowers make it popular for vertical visual interest. Good as cut flowers, too! Pollinators: Penstemon is attractive to various pollinators, especially bees, and hummingbirds, drawn to their nectar-rich flowers. Additionally, its seeds provide food for songbirds in late summer and fall.

Native American tribes used beardtongue as a medicinal remedy in the treatment of humans and animals. The roots were used to alleviate toothache, and poultices of the leaves treated cuts and burns. Pioneers learned and adopted these medicinal uses from the Native Americans.

SPECS: Genus: Penstemon ; Species: Digitalis; Plant Type: Wildflower; Life Cycle: Perennial; Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade; Soil Moisture: Wet, Medium Dry; Height: 2′ — 3′; Spread: 3′; Plant Spacing: 1′ — 2′; Bloom Time: May — June; Bloom Color: Lavender, White; Advantages: Birds, Pollinator conservation, Pollinators, Showy; USDA Zone: 3 — 8; Attracts: Beneficial insects, Bumblebees, Butterflies, Carpenter bees, Songbirds, Sweat bees; Tolerant: Deer, Drought, Wet soils; Plant Community: Try pairing Penstemon digitalis with Baptisia australis, Ceanothus americanus, Liatris aspera, Monarda fistulosa or Sorghastrum nutans;