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Slender Penstemon
Penstemon gracilis

Slender Beardtongue is a drought-tolerant perennial with spike-like clusters of tubular, pale-violet flowers. Attractive to many pollinators, it is a host plant for the Chalcedon Checkerspot and Edith’s Checkerspot.

USDA symbol: PEGR5

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height1 to 2 feet
Light ExposureSun, Part Sun
Soil MoistureDry
Bloom ColorPink
Slender Penstemon (Slender Penstemon<div><em class="small">Penstemon gracilis</em></div>)
Photo credit: RWMWD (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceLow
General Resilience7
Salt ToleranceHigh
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant

Pollinator Value: Medium

Bloom MonthsJune to July
Larval Host ofBees
Specific Pollinators HostedOsmia cyaneonitens, Osmia distincta
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeErosion Control, Restoration
Coefficient of Conservatism5
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAnoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Goodhue, Hennepin, Hubbard, Isanti, Kittson, Lac qui Parle, Lake of the Woods, Lincoln, Morrison, Norman, Otter Tail, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Rock, Roseau, Sherburne, St. Louis, Stearns, Swift, Todd, Wadena, Washington, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands