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Penstemon baccharifolius
Rock Beard Tongue
Item #: 12264
Zones: 7b to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
We fell in love with the Texas endemic Penstemon baccharifolius back in the 1980s, but all our early attempts to grow it were met with failure, due to our lack of understanding its xeric (super dry) nature. In the wild, it grows in limestone crevices, so it's not advisable to even utter the word "water" in its presence. Once we built our crevice garden with near perfect drainage, rock beard tongue has become a long-lived garden staple. Unlike many beard tongues, Penstemon baccharifolius is a woody shrub, clothed with small, thick green leaves. During very cold winters, it may die to the ground, returning in spring. From spring through early summer, the 18" tall x 2' wide clumps are adorned with terminal spikes of cherry red flowers, visited often by native bees and hummingbirds.
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Other Attributes
Genus: Penstemon
Flower Color: Red
Leaf Color: Green
Garden Themes: Rock Garden Plants , Southwest Garden Plants
Other: Drought Tolerant Plants , Hummingbird Plants , Pollinator Plants , North American Native Plants , Plants that Attract Birds , Rabbit Resistant Plants , Rain Garden Plants , Xeriscaping Plants , United States Native Plants