Hairy beardtongue
Penstemon hirsutus · Plantaginaceae
Slender, hairy stems of narrow, lavender tubes with white lips, over evergreen rosettes that turn maroon in winter.
- Size
- 18 in tall, 12 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Late May to late June
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around hairy beardtongue
The planner designed this bed around hairy beardtongue when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 715 that suit those conditions and its dry soil, and says below why hairy beardtongue stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Hairy beardtongue × 8, lavender
- 2 Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' × 8, pink
- 3 Winter heath × 6, white
- 4 Little bluestem 'Standing Ovation' × 3, tan
- 5 Brown-eyed Susan × 3, yellow
- 6 Silver sage × 1, silver leaves
- 7 Star of Persia × 5, purple
- 8 Ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' × 5, purple
Why this plant
- The only spires. The others are bells, plumes, daisies and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- The only lavender.
Why here
- At the back. At 18 in it is the step between Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' (8 in) in front and little bluestem 'Standing Ovation' (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- A step in the back row. Next to brown-eyed Susan (4 ft), ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' (2½ ft) and little bluestem 'Standing Ovation' (3½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 8 plants in 2 groups (5 and 3). Seen again further along, the same plant ties the bed together.
Why now
- In flower for five weeks. From late May to late June.
- Fills a gap. For one of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as a cottage garden: 29 of the 29 plants (100%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. The most in flower at one time is 4 kinds, from late May. In winter there are still three kinds to look at, Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' and winter heath among them.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 3 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where hairy beardtongue goes in a border
At 18 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
A small eastern native for dry, rocky soil and the front of a sunny bed. It tolerates more shade and humidity than the western penstemons.
- Dry, rocky soil
- Native planting at the front
- Bees and hummingbirds
What to plant with hairy beardtongue
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Butterfly weed: happy in the same dry soil.
- Prairie smoke: a low mound at the foot of its spires; happy in the same dry soil.
- Little bluestem: its blue-green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; tall enough (3 ft) to stand behind it; happy in the same dry soil.
Questions about hairy beardtongue
Does hairy beardtongue need sun or shade?
Hairy beardtongue grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled.
What zones does hairy beardtongue grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does hairy beardtongue flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late May to late June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 3 | Mid June to early July |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Early June to early July |
| Zone 5 | Late May to late June |
| Zone 6 | Late May to late June |
| Zone 7 | Mid May to late June |
| Zone 8 | Early May to late June |
| Zone 9 | Early May to mid June |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should hairy beardtongue be planted?
12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is about its full width, so each plant keeps its own outline.
It grows 18 in (45 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many hairy beardtongue plants do I need?
At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used eight in two groups.
Is hairy beardtongue poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat hairy beardtongue?
They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.
What flowers after hairy beardtongue?
Hairy beardtongue is over by late June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall (a recorded partner).
- Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
- Daylily: from late June to early August, 2½ ft tall.
What does hairy beardtongue look like in winter?
Hairy beardtongue holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
Is hairy beardtongue good for bees and butterflies?
Hairy beardtongue is visited by bees, butterflies, moths and beneficial insects.
It is native to the United States and Canada.
More Penstemon
- Beardtongue 'Dark Towers' Penstemon 'Dark Towers'
- Beardtongue 'Husker Red' Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'
- Beardtongue 'Prairie Dusk' Penstemon 'Prairie Dusk'
- Firecracker penstemon Penstemon eatonii
- Foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Large beardtongue Penstemon grandiflorus
- Pineleaf penstemon Penstemon pinifolius
- Rocky Mountain penstemon Penstemon strictus
In these guides
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Native perennials for pollinators
- Garden plants native to Canada
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants for bees
- Plants with spires: vertical accents
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 18 in (45 cm) tall, 12 in (30 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Late May to late June; upright spires; lavender, white
- Leaves
- Medium texture, semi-evergreen; green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Lean, dry and sharply drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Comes from
- Eastern Canada and the United States south to Virginia
- Attracts
- Bees, butterflies, moths, beneficial insects
Checked against NC State Extension and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.