Audubon® Native Foxglove Beard Tongue

Happy hummers! Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will entertain you in late spring and early summer when you include Foxglove Beardtongue in your backyard bird sanctuary. This spritely native Spirit hoists its tubular white flowers on slender stems then, and the nectar-seeking birds come from far and wide. Plant it near your outdoor sitting area, where you can watch the air show. It’s fun to watch the bumblebees methodically working the flowers, too. They disappear inside each one and pop back out, pollinating the blooms as they go. Butterflies, such as tiger swallowtails and skippers, may also stop by for a sip of nectar.

Beardtongue gets its name from the hairy stamens (male flower parts) inside the blossoms. It is also known as Penstemon. This sturdy species of Beardtongue, the Foxglove Beardtongue, grows in sunny, open areas all over the East, Midwest, and Southern Plains. It nourishes not only Hummingbirds, bumblebees, and butterflies, but a wide array of valuable pollinators. Honey bees relish the blooms, as do digger bees, miner bees, mason bees, sweat bees, and leaf-cutter bees. Sphinx moths may visit the flowers, and a little moth called the chalcedony midget lays its eggs on its foliage. Its caterpillars feed only on Penstemons and a couple of related plants.

Easygoing and dependable! Penstemons, often native to mountainous areas and regions with low humidity, can be difficult to grow in the eastern United States. Foxglove Penstemon, on the other hand, is quite accommodating. It is easy to please in most climates and will come back year after year.