SMOOTH PENSTEMON
Penstemon digitalis
FIGWORT FAMILY (Scrophulariaceae)
Identification
- Flowering May to July
- Uncommon in prairies at NW
- Tubular, two-lipped flower with open 'mouth'
- Two-lobed upper flower lip - larger three-lobed lower lip
- Paired, stalkless leaves
This perennial has upright stems 1-4 feet tall. The opposite, smooth, shiny, lance-shaped leaves are stalkless, often clasping, becoming smaller and more widely spaced above (C). Flowers are in a series of 3-6 pairs of branched clusters (thyrse) at the top of the stem with a pair of small leaves below each cluster (A). The tubular, white to pale pink flowers are 1 1/4 inch long and 3/4 inch wide, with the mouth flaring into 2 upper and 3 lower lobes. Four fertile stamens lie inside the upper portion of the tube. The infertile stamen, with its yellow hairs, extends to the mouth of the lower tube above the middle petal (B). Its resemblance to a protruding hairy tongue is the origin of the alternate common name, beardtongue.
Prefers moist sites in prairies, fields and open woodlands, flowering from May to July. Ours which are north and west of their normal range, are found occasionally in some of the Neale Woods prairie restorations where they were apparently in the seed mixture. Plants with reddish leaves, likely representing a popular garden cultivar known as “Husker Red” have been found at the site of the old garden just beyond the upper parking lot entrance at Neale Woods, where they were likely planted. Smooth Penstemon is rare at Fontenelle Forest where it has been seen in the Camp Brewster prairie restoration.
This species is one of only two penstemons (one white, one blue) present at our nature centers, sparing us the pleasure of separating other members in this large and confusing genus containing 230 North American species.
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