# Penstemon

Penstemon is a colorful flower that attracts bees and butterflies with its vibrant petals. It blooms in various shades like pink, purple, and red, adding beauty to gardens and meadows.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands
- **Also known as:** Beardtongue

![Penstemon](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Penstemon_palmeri_closeup-400px.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Penstemon_palmeri_closeup-400px.jpg)

## Appearance

The Penstemon has showy, tubular, often two-lipped flowers clustered on tall spikes. Its vibrant blooms come in shades of purple, blue, pink, red, or white, creating a striking visual against green foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Spermatophyta
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Scrophulariaceae
- **Genus:** Penstemon

## Interesting facts

- Its common name, "Beardtongue," refers to the fuzzy, sterile stamen inside each flower!
- Penstemon plants can grow in habitats ranging from hot deserts to cold mountain tops!
- Some Penstemon species can actually change their flower color as they get older.
- There are over 270 different kinds of Penstemon, mostly found across North America!

## Special abilities

- **Pollinator Beacon:** Penstemon can attract hummingbirds and bees with its brightly colored, tubular flowers that offer sweet nectar.
- **Beard Guide:** Penstemon has a fuzzy fifth stamen, called a staminode, that guides pollinators deep into its flower for nectar.
- **Drought Buster:** Many Penstemon species can survive dry conditions thanks to their tough, water-wise roots and foliage.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-150 cm
- **Spread:** 30-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Drinks nectar and collects pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Ruby-throated Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ruby-throated-hummingbird) (*Archilochus colubris*) — Feeds on nectar with its long beak
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch Butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Visits flowers for sweet nectar

## Traits

- [Bell-Shaped Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/bell-shaped-flower): Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Tube Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tube-flower): A tube flower has petals fused together at the base, forming a distinct tubular structure that typically holds nectar deep within.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.

## Collections

- [Flowers](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/flowers)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Enjoy the beauty of Penstemon flowers from a safe distance and avoid picking them in the wild.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Penstemon?

Count the petals where you can, then compare the flower's center, its symmetry, how the blooms are grouped and the leaves below. Color varies between garden varieties and shifts with the light. Flower Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Penstemon?

15-150 cm

### How wide does Penstemon spread?

30-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on Penstemon?

1-5 cm

### When does Penstemon bloom?

Late spring to late summer

### Is Penstemon edible?

No

### Is Penstemon toxic?

None

### What is Penstemon's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [The Green](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-green) — Delaware, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Penstemon: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/penstemon)