Gulf Coast Penstemon
Penstemon tenuis
Gulf Coast penstemon is unusual among beardtongues for tolerating wet, heavy soils, offering lavender-purple bloom for rain gardens and damp borders in the South.
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 1–2 ft
- Spacing
- 1–1.5 ft apart
- Light
- sun, part shade
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral
- Bloom
- March, April, May, June
- Bloom colors
- purple
- Wildlife value
- hummingbirds, pollinators, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~8 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- border, container
- Native states
- AR, LA, MO, MS, TX
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)