Narrowleaf Beardtongue
Penstemon angustifolius
Waxy blue-green foliage and crowded spikes of sky-blue to lilac bells on a compact plains penstemon. Built for pure sand and full sun. Penstemons can accumulate toxic levels of selenium from seleniferous soils — a real hazard for grazing stock rather than for gardeners.
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Type
- shrub
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 3–3 ft
- Spacing
- 0.5–1 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry
- Soil pH
- neutral, alkaline
- Bloom
- May, June
- Bloom colors
- blue
- Wildlife value
- pollinators, hummingbirds, butterflies, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~8 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- foundation
- Native states
- AZ, CO, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, UT, WY
Related native plants
More Penstemon species
- Large Beardtongue (Penstemon grandiflorus)
- Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
- Cobaea Beardtongue (Penstemon cobaea)
- Scarlet Bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius)
- Palmer's Penstemon (Penstemon palmeri)
- Beardlip Penstemon (Penstemon barbatus)