Penstemon hirsutus (Hairy Beardtongue) Unity Grown

Penstemon hirsutus, also called hairy beardtongue, is a 12-18" tall native perennial wildflower with green to reddish stems and small lance-shaped leaves that turn red in the fall. Similar in appearance to the more popular Penstemon digitalis, hairy beardtongue produces small, tubular flowers in varying shades from white to pale blue to pale purple in May and June, which are favorites of bees and hummingbirds. These flowers have a protruding lower 'lip' that is covered in fine hairs, as is much of the plant, providing a soft texture and lending the plant its species name, hirsutus, meaning hairy.

 Hairy beardtongue is a very versatile plant for native landscaping, as it tolerates full sun to partial shade, dry, poor, or rocky soils, and is more deer and rabbit resistant than other species of Penstemon due to its fine hairs, which are unpalatable to many mammals. Penstemon hirsutus is a valuable food plant to a number of pollinators, and works excellently in pollinator gardens, rock gardens, hot open meadows, and along paths and embankments.