← Bedfellow

Large Beardtongue

Penstemon grandiflorus

Showiest of the prairie penstemons, with big lavender-blue bells up smooth, waxy blue-green stems. A bumblebee magnet on dry, sandy ground.

Family

Plantaginaceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

2–4 ft

Spacing

1–1.5 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

neutral, alkaline

Bloom

May, June

Bloom colors

pink, purple

Wildlife value

pollinators, hummingbirds, butterflies

Caterpillar hosts

~8 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

border

Native states

CO, IA, IL, KS, MA, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, OH, OK, SD, TX, WI, WY