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Penstemon speciosus Dougl. ex Lindl.

Royal beardtongue, Royal penstemon, Sagebrush penstemon

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

USDA Symbol: PESP

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

The subshrubby branches of this clumped perennial rise to 2 ft. and bear narrow, spoon-shaped leaves. The racemes of flowers, borne many to each plant, carry close wands of gaping blue flowers.

Royal Beardtongue is a member of the figwort or snapdragon family (family Scrophulariaceae), which includes mostly herbs, sometimes shrubs, rarely trees, often with showy flowers.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf: Gray-Green
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Blue
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: CA , ID , NV , OR , UT , WA
Native Distribution: E. WA to CA, e. to ID & n.e. UT
Native Habitat: Dry plains; wooded or shrubby slopes; 3500-8500 ft.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Sandy or rocky soils.
Conditions Comments: Drought-tolerant.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Propagate using half-woody cuttings or seed.
Seed Collection: Not Available
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Penstemon speciosus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Penstemon speciosus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Penstemon speciosus

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-01-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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