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Foxglove Beardtongue

Penstemon digitalis

Also known as: Smooth White Penstemon

Panicles of tubular white flowers with purple-veined throats rise above shiny foliage in early summer, attracting bumblebees and hummingbirds. Holds a tidy basal rosette of leaves through winter. Exceptionally adaptable in sunny borders or rain gardens, tolerating both temporary drought and damp clay.

Family

Plantaginaceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

3–5 ft

Spacing

1.5–2 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade

Soil moisture

dry, moist, wet

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

May, June, July

Bloom colors

white

Wildlife value

hummingbirds, pollinators, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~8 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

border, naturalizing

Native states

AL, AR, DC, DE, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV