Penstemon hirsutus
Hairy Beardtongue
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Thin, tubular-shaped purple flowers bloom May-July, offering nectar for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Description:
Thin, tubular-shaped flowers bloom May-July, offering nectar for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Flowers range in color from lavender-purple to pale-blue, with white tips. The lower petal has a protruding lip with hair-like structures evoking its common name, “Hairy Beardtongue”. This versatile and adaptable perennial tolerates a range of conditions including clay or sandy soil, medium-wet to dry soil, and full sun to full shade. Plant in your native wildflower garden, pollinator garden, field, meadow, or woodland edge. Companion plant suggestions incude Horsemint (Monarda punctata) and Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana).
Wildlife Value: A variety of bees and butterflies benefit from the nectar and pollen, and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird visits the flower for the sweet nectar. Host plant for Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryus phaeton).
Plant Details:
Plant Type: Flower, Perennial
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer
Bloom Colors: Pink, Blue, Purple
Deer Resistance: High
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Bees and Other Pollinators, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Salt Tolerance: Unknown
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Sandy, Clay
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic, Slightly Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Partial Shade
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade, Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Drought Tolerance: High
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 1 - 2 ft
Spread: .5 - 1 ft
Growth Rate: Medium-fast