Tennessee Smart Yards Native Plants
A comprehensive database of Tennessee native plants
Smooth Penstemon, Foxglove Beardtongue
 Photo Courtesy Joy Stewart  Photo Courtesy Joy Stewart  Photo Courtesy Joy Stewart  Photo Courtesy Joy Stewart |
Smooth Penstemon, Foxglove BeardtonguePenstemon digitalisFull to part sun, medium to slightly dry moisture level, adapted to a wide range of soils including clay, moderately acid to neutral pH. 3-5 ft. height, blooms late spring to early summer, white flowers, spreads by re-seeding and by short rhizomes in the root system.Germination Code: C(30), D, GNative Region: Scattered statewide in isolated countiesThis is a good, sturdy flower for quick coverage. Blooms for a month or longer. One of the few Penstemons that do well in clay soil. Even though seeds are quite small, it spreads rapidly by re-seeding. Striking plant en masse. Will tolerate dry shade. Root rot will occur in wet, poorly drained soils. Attracts birds, bees, and butterflies.flower;sun;medium;clay |
Tennessee Smart Yards Native Plants 
This flower is one of my very favorites. When I first started my plantings, it was easy to grow in large masses and made a pretty spectacular spring display. However, I have discovered that it is not very competitive with more aggressive plants. After about 5 years, it has mostly faded away and been replaced. I still have isolated plants but nothing like I used to. I really miss them. Update: I recently read that this species is considered a pioneer plant which means it is a natural process for it to disappear as other species get established. So if you are starting a new planting, this is a great species to include for a beautiful, quick start-up..