Hairy Beardtongue
Penstemon hirsutus
Pale lavender spikes in late spring on one of the toughest penstemons for dry, rocky, or sandy soil. Rosettes turn bronze-purple for winter.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The most cold-hardy and drought-tolerant eastern beardtongue, with attractive bronze winter rosettes and reliable bumblebee attraction in late spring.
Hairy Beardtongue is one of the toughest penstemons for northeastern gardens: it handles dry, rocky, or sandy soils where other plants give up, and rewards that tolerance with spikes of pale lavender tubular flowers lined with purple in late spring. The 'hairy' in its name refers to fine glandular hairs on the flower tube that help trap pollen on visiting bumblebees. Bumblebee queens find it early and return reliably. The semi-evergreen basal rosette deepens to a rich bronze-purple in fall and winter, adding a color note when most other perennials have gone brown. This makes it unusually effective as a winter garden plant in mild climates. Its tolerance for poor soil means it works in spots that challenge more demanding natives.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown hairy beardtongue propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 1.5–2.5 ft · 12–18 in wide
- Bloom time
- May–June
- USDA zones
- 3–8
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America. rocky woods, open slopes, and disturbed areas from Maine to Wisconsin south to Tennessee and Virginia
Care notes for hairy beardtongue.
Plant in full sun to light shade in dry to average, well-drained soil. Hairy Beardtongue is more tolerant of dry, rocky conditions than most penstemons. Deadhead spent flower spikes to prevent excessive seeding and encourage a second flush of foliage. The rosette often shows attractive bronze-purple winter color. leave it in place. Divide every three to four years to maintain vigor.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside hairy beardtongue.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.