Native Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Medium, Medium-Dry
Height: 2' to 4'
Bloom Time: June, July
Bloom Color: White to pink
Resistant To: Deer, Drought, Black Walnut
Pollinator benefits: Excellent nectar source for butterflies, native bees and hummingbirds
---
Beardtongue Foxglove (Penstemon digitalis) matures to 3' in height and has white to pink tubular, uneven five-lobed flowers in stalked clusters. Flowers rise in pairs from the upper leaf branches. It prefers medium to dry medium soils but can adapt to many light conditions: full sun to part shade such as clearings within forests, woods' edges, and savannas. It is very easy to grow from seed.
The tubular flowers of this plant attract native long-tongued bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, Miner bees, Mason bees, and hummingbirds. Penstemons are called 'Beard Tongues' because the sterile stamen has a tuft of small hairs. You may choose to pair Penstemon with some of these other native plants: Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea), Spiderworts (Tradescantia ohiensis), and Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium campestre). Other common names include Mississippi Penstemon, Smooth White Beardtongue, Talus Slope Penstemon, and simply, Beardtongue.
Info from www.prairiemoon.com