Flora of the Southeastern United States

Intro: Erect perennial of low meadows and forest edges where the soil is moist and sandy, moist fields, clearings and other open, disturbed areas.

Stems: Stems unbranched, smooth or finely hairy.

Leaves: Leaves opposite, sessile, lance-shaped or oval, 2-8 in. long, finely toothed, smooth or with fine hairs on the mid-vein beneath.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in a moderately compact, terminal panicle, with branches (may be glandular-hairy) angled upward; flwoers white (later tinged purple), 3/4-1 1/4 in. long, bilaterally symmetric, tubular with an abruptly inflated throat and 2 lips, the upper lip 2-lobed and of equal length to the lower, which is 3 lobed. Corolla throat white with purple lines inside.

Fruits: Fruit a capsule.

Comments: Identification of Penstemon species is difficult due to variations in flower characters such as color, patterning, relative length of parts and degree of constriction/dilation of the corolla tube.

Height: 2-4 ft.

plant sale text: Foxglove beardtongue produces loose clusters of flowers borne on upright unbranched stems, up to 4 ft. in height. The flowers open white, then darken to a pale purplish shade. It makes an excellent cut flower. Its seed pods can provide interest in the fall, and its leafy rosettes persist through the winter. In the wild, foxglove beardtongue can be found in low meadows and forest edges where the soil is moist and sandy. It does well in full sun and relatively well-drained soil.

bloom table text: The foliage of this robust perennial can be semi-evergreen in the South making it a good groundcover candidate. When in bloom, it's erect, 2-5 ft. stems are topped with stalked clusters of white, tubular, unevenly five-lobed flowers which rise in pairs from the upper leaf axils. A strong pollinator magnet, it is highly entertaining to watch our little native bumblebees crawl in and out gathering nectar and pollen as they go. Some authorities say this species was originally indigenous only to areas in the Mississippi Basin.

description: Erect perennial of low meadows and forest edges where the soil is moist and sandy, moist fields, clearings and other open, disturbed areas.

stems: Stems unbranched, smooth or finely hairy.

leaves: Leaves opposite, sessile, lance-shaped or oval, 2-8 in. long, finely toothed, smooth or with fine hairs on the mid-vein beneath.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in a moderately compact, terminal panicle, with branches (may be glandular-hairy) angled upward; flwoers white (later tinged purple), 3/4-1 1/4 in. long, bilaterally symmetric, tubular with an abruptly inflated throat and 2 lips, the upper lip 2-lobed and of equal length to the lower, which is 3 lobed. Corolla throat white with purple lines inside.

fruits: Fruit a capsule.

comments: Identification of Penstemon species is difficult due to variations in flower characters such as color, patterning, relative length of parts and degree of constriction/dilation of the corolla tube.

cultural notes:

germination code: 2,4

native range: eastern North America