# Sawsepal Beardtongue (*Penstemon glaber*)

The Sawsepal Beardtongue is a beautiful flower with unique, tubular blooms. It often grows in sunny places and attracts butterflies and bees, making gardens lively and colorful.

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

![Sawsepal Beardtongue](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Penstemon_glaber_var_alpinus_1216053_3x2.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Penstemon_glaber_var_alpinus_1216053_3x2.jpg)

## Appearance

The Sawsepal Beardtongue has striking, tubular flowers, typically a vibrant blue-purple, that grow in tall spikes. Its name comes from the jagged (saw-like) sepals and the fuzzy, sterile stamen (beardtongue) inside each flower. The smooth, green leaves are often lance-shaped.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Plantaginaceae
- **Genus:** Penstemon

## Interesting facts

- Each flower is perfectly shaped like a tube, a custom fit for long-tongued insect visitors!
- Its 'beardtongue' is actually a sterile stamen, a fuzzy landing strip for thirsty bees!
- The plant's scientific name 'glaber' means 'smooth,' referring to its slick, hairless leaves!
- This tough plant can grow in very rocky or sandy soil where many other plants struggle!

## Special abilities

- **Pollinator Beacon:** Sawsepal Beardtongue has brightly colored, tubular flowers that act like a visual target, attracting buzzing bees for pollination.
- **Beardtongue Guide:** Sawsepal Beardtongue has a fuzzy 'beardtongue' stamen inside its flower, guiding insects to the nectar and pollen!
- **Drought Defender:** Sawsepal Beardtongue can thrive in dry, rocky soils thanks to adaptations that help it conserve precious water.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Western Bumblebee (*Bombus occidentalis*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen from blooms.
- **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Occasionally browses on the plant's leaves.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [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.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [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.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Sawsepal Beardtongue?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Sawsepal Beardtongue?

30-90 cm

### How wide does Sawsepal Beardtongue spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Sawsepal Beardtongue?

2-3 cm

### When does Sawsepal Beardtongue bloom?

Late spring to mid-summer

### Is Sawsepal Beardtongue edible?

No

### Is Sawsepal Beardtongue toxic?

None

### What is Sawsepal Beardtongue's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Staunton State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/staunton-state-park) — Colorado, US · State Park
- [Jewel Cave National Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jewel-cave-national-monument) — South Dakota, US · National 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: [Sawsepal Beardtongue: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sawsepal-beardtongue)