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Foxglove Beardtongue

Penstemon digitalis

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in alluvial forests, moist fields, disturbed areas, ditches. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

75
Strong

Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
2–4 feet
Spread
1.5–2 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 2 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 25 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
May to July
Fruiting season
July to August

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 63 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 53 animals.

All wildlife of Arkansas

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

11CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Penstemon

  • Caloptilia murtfeldtellaPoison Ivy Leafminer
  • Elaphria chalcedoniaChalcedony Midget
  • Endothenia hebesanaVerbena Bud Moth
  • Euphydryas phaetonThe Baltimore, The Black Checker
  • Frederickia cydaMesquite Looper Moth
  • Junonia coeniaCommon Buckeye
  • Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
  • Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Sympistis saundersianaSaunders's Sallow
Show all 11
  • Platphalonidia lavana
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
46BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Penstemon

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
2Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Penstemon

  • Atoposmia abjecta
  • Osmia distincta
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Penstemon

  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Tympanuchus pallidicinctusLesser Prairie-Chicken
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Plantaginaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Purple or white
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Red
Fruit begins
July
Fruit ends
August

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Smooth Beard Tongue; Talus Slope Beard Tongue; White Beard Tongue

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNR
Global rankG5
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Spreads by rhizomes. Spreads by re-seeding and by short rhizomes in the root system. Tennessee Smart Yards

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources