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Showy Penstemon
Penstemon grandiflorus

a.k.a. Large-flowered Beardtongue

Large-flowered Beardtongue has tubular, slightly flattened pink to purple flowers that attract bees and hummingbirds. It is drought tolerant and prefers partial shade to full sun.

USDA symbol: PEGR7

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height1 to 2 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureDry
Bloom ColorPink
Showy Penstemon (Showy Penstemon<div><em class="small">Penstemon grandiflorus</em></div>)
Photo credit: Gary Monroe (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceHigh
General Resilience6
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant, General Disturbance

Pollinator Value: High

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

Project Planning

Project TypeRestoration
Coefficient of Conservatism5
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAnoka, Benton, Big Stone, Brown, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Lac qui, Lincoln, Lyon, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Nicollet, Norman, Otter Tail, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Renville, Rock, Sherburne, St. Louis, Stearns, Swift, Traverse, Washington, 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