Native Plant Database

Header Photo: Mervin Wallace

Purple Beard Tongue

Penstemon cobaea
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennials
Native Environment:
Season of Interest: Mid (May - June)
Main Color: Purple
Fall Color:

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Group of purple Penstemon cobaea flowers.
Photo: Mervin Wallace
Sun Exposure 
Full Sun
Soil
Moisture
Dry, Moderate
Nature Attracting
Pollinators/Beneficial Insects
Wildlife Benefit
Food/Pollinators
Animal
Resistance
Size

Height:

12 to
24
inches

Spread:

12 to
18
inches
Size
Height: 12 to
24
inches
Spread: 12 to
18
inches
Size
Height: 12 to
24
inches
Spread: 12 to
18
inches
Typical Landscape Use
Use in perennial borders, cut flower gardens, native plant gardens and wildflower meadows.
Establishment and Care Instructions
Grows best in full sun with well-drained soil.
Special Features
Special Usage
Fresh Cut Flower, Salt Tolerant
Basic Description

Show-stopping spikes of loosely spaced white to violet to deep purple, 2 in. long tubular flowers atop erect stems. Flowers bloom in June and are larger than other penstemon flowers. Plants in a landscape can produce 15-20 flower stems per plant.

 

Group of purple Penstemon cobaea flowers.

Purple beard tongue in a garden. Photo: Emily Gustafson

Where Should I Start?

Check out the Grow Native! Committee’s Top Ten picks of native plants for a particular purpose.

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Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?

Learn about the Native Environment(s) inhabited by the plants in this database.

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