Penstemon Species, Foxglove Beard Tongue, Talus Slope, Smooth White Penstemon, Pride of the Mountain

Penstemon digitalis is a gentle flower occurring naturally in meadows, prairies, borders of woods, and rich alluvial woodlands from Maine...Read More and Quebec to South Dakota, south to Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.

The preference is full or partial sun, average levels of moisture, and loamy soil. This plant matures quickly during the spring, and the flowering stalks often ascend above neighboring plants. It adapts well to cultivation, is not bothered by disease, and is easy to grow. Under severe drought conditions, however, the leaves may turn yellow and the plant will wilt.

The wildlife value of Penstemon digitalis isn't that great. The seeds are not often eaten by birds, nor is the foliage an attractive source of food to mammalian herbivores, although they may browse on it when little else is available. It's popular with the bees, though. The tubular flowers of this plant attract long-tongued bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, Miner bees, Mason bees, and large Leaf-Cutting bees. The caterpillars of the moth Elaphria chalcedonia (Chalcedony Midget) feed on the foliage of this and other beardtongues.

I've had success growing this plant in eastern Kansas using rich, clay soil amended with some sand. It has grown and thrived in the hott...Read Moreest, driest of summers in full sun and in our cold winters. It blooms each year in mid-May with white flowers that have the lightest of a pinkish cast, and on occasion attracts a northbound migrating hummingbird at the same time. I've had to stake it lightly because the rich, clay soil causes it to flop somewhat.

These white penstemons grow wild here. I have never planted any, but have them appear in my flowerbeds. If they are not interferring with...Read More another plant, I usually allow them to flower.

I bought the plant as a "Perennial of the Year" in 1996, transplanted it, and it has done well. I rely on rainfall to water it and have ...Read Moremulched it. It grows to about 2 feet. No problem with insects.

This is an attractive native wildflower here in the Ozarks. It prefers a moist habitat near the edges of woods, but not in deepest shade...Read More. Apparently it self-sows quite easily. Most of my plants are 2 to 3 feet tall, but they can reach as high as 4 feet according to my Missouri Wildflowers book.

I have had this growing in two spots in my garden for 3 years now....If left to go to seed, it reseeds itself very well...I prune off the...Read More fading flowers, and it sends up new spikes of flowers for at least 6 weeks starting in early summer....The flowers are delightful little white bells, and in quantity are very decorative on the outer edge of my deep shade garden where they get about 4 hours of sun. The contrast between the green/burgundy foliage and the white bells is really striking. They are extremely hardy.

A semi-evergreen perennial from the USA.

Has slim, lance shaped, mid-deep green leaves which may be toothed or entire. Bea...Read Morers tubular, white flowers somtimes tinged with pink inside and out.

Flowers June to September

Loves a well drained, fertile soil in sun or light shade. Can get a bit weedy given time.