Penstemon laevigatus

Common Names

Eastern Smooth Beardtongue, Appalachian Beardtongue, Smooth Beardtongue, Eastern Beardtongue

Summary

Penstemon laevigatus is an eastern North American evergreen herbaceous perennial growing about 2–3 feet tall, with opposite lanceolate leaves and burgundy stems; the glossy bright green foliage colors in fall. From May through July, an open flower stalk bears pale pink to white to purple tubular flowers with a hairy lower lip and nectar guides, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds and providing a larval host for the Common Buckeye butterfly.

It prefers full sun to part shade and moist to occasionally dry soils with good drainage and organic matter, tolerating a wide range of soils and conditions, making it suitable for rock, cottage, and butterfly gardens and other native plantings. Easy to grow with medium water use and low maintenance, it is deer resistant and offers nectar for pollinators; propagation can occur from seed, supporting restoration or native landscape projects.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-3 feet

Spread

24 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun to Full Shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained sandy or loamy soil, pH 6.0–7.8, moisture medium-wet to medium-dry

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil (not waterlogged)

Soil pH

7.6-7.8, mildly alkaline

Bloom Color

Purple

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Glossy, bright green

Fall Foliage Color

Burgundy

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Moderate

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators