Scientific Name: Penstemon hirsutus
June is typically a quieter time in my gardens, with the rush of spring ephemerals long done and the riot of summer colours not quite upon us yet. Perhaps that is why I find Hairy Beardtongue so appealing. It starts its long blooming period, with its soft, powdery purple and white flowers, when most of my garden is still rather green.
As usual, the Plant Description and In the Garden sections are courtesy of Shawn Booth from In Our Nature. The content of this article is excerpted from our book The Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region (Firefly Books), available wherever you buy your books.
Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)
Alternate Common Names: Hairy Penstemon, Dwarf Hairy Penstemon, Eastern Penstemon, Northeastern Beardtongue, Pride of the Mountain
Plant description: Hairy Beardtongue features green to reddish brown, hairy stems. Along the stems are opposite, lance-shaped leaves with pointed tips and toothed edges. Leaves clasp the stem. Stems terminate with clusters of slender, tubular flowers. Flower stalks also emerge from upper leaf axils. Each flower is purple to violet with white tips and has 5 petals with a protruding lower lip. You will notice that the flowers are hairy inside. Flowers turn into brown, teardrop-shaped seed pods. They split open when ripe to release many small irregularly angled seeds.
In the Garden: Hairy Beardtongue transitions the garden into early summer with a fantastic display of tubular, pink flowers. It maintains a well-behaved, clumping habit and adapts to a wide range of growing conditions. The seed heads provide reliable winter interest. Plants may suffer from a reduced lifespan if grown in rich soil.
Skill level: beginner
Lifespan: perennial
Exposure: full sun to full shade
Soil Type: thin, well drained soils
Moisture: medium wet to dry
Height: 45 cm
Spread: 25-30 cm
Bloom Period: May, Jun
Colour: pink, purple
Fragrant (Y/N): N
Showy Fruit (Y/N): N
Cut Flower (Y/N): Y
Pests: no serious pests
Natural Habitat: fields and open areas
Wildlife value: attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and native bees
Butterfly Larva Host Plant For: Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)
Moth Larva Host Plant For: Chalcedony Midget (Elaphria chalcedonia), Verbena Bud Moth (Endothenia hebesana), Sparganothis Leafroller Moth (Sparganothis sulfureana)
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
Propagation: Direct sow in late fall through to late winter, pressing seeds into the surface of the soil without covering as seeds need light to germinate. For starting indoors, germination is enhanced with 60 days of cold, moist stratification. Slow to germinate and will spend its first year getting established, then flower in year two. Plants seem to germinate best in cool soil. Penstemon readily self seeds. Mature clumps of plants can be divided in early spring or late fall. Plants may also be propagated by layering (pinning the stem down and covering the leaf nodes with soil, which will then root) or by stem cuttings using sections of stem with 2-4 nodes.
Additional Info: This low maintenance plant blooms in my southwestern Ontario garden in the early summer, after the spring ephemerals are done and before the bulk of the colour of my other natives begins, providing a wonderful splash of colour during the “quiet” period before the blooms of summer reach their peak. As a result, it has become one of my favourites.
Native Range:
