What is Foxglove Beardtongue: A Complete Guide to This Native Perennial

Native to eastern North America, foxglove beardtongue (Digitalis grandiflora) is a resilient perennial celebrated for its tall spikes of tubular flowers and vital role in supporting bees and butterflies.

Foxglove beardtongue, a member of the Digitalis genus, is a hardy flowering plant known for its distinctive bell-shaped blossoms that range from white to pink and purple. Unlike true foxgloves, its name reflects a tongue-like shape of the flowers and its preference for well-drained soils in woodland edges and meadows. This perennial thrives in USDA zones 4 to 8, offering long-lasting blooms from late spring to summer.

A key pollinator magnet, foxglove beardtongue attracts native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies with its nectar-rich flowers. Its late-season blooming period supports pollinators when other nectar sources are scarce, making it a valuable addition to sustainable and wildlife-friendly gardens.

Grow foxglove beardtongue in partial shade with moist, well-aerated soil for optimal growth. It’s drought-tolerant once established but benefits from consistent moisture during its first growing season. Avoid over-fertilizing, as it thrives in lean soils. This low-maintenance perennial naturalizes easily, spreading gently through rhizomes to form attractive clumps.

Whether enhancing a native garden or supporting local ecosystems, foxglove beardtongue delivers beauty and ecological benefit. Plant it with confidence—this resilient perennial rewards gardeners and pollinators alike with years of vibrant, life-sustaining blooms.

Are you looking for a beautiful spring-blooming flower for your pollinator garden? Foxglove beardtongue is a fabulous flowering plant that will attract all sorts of attention. In this article, gardening enthusiast Liessa Bowen will introduce the foxglove beardtongue and why you will want to grow one in your own garden. Foxglove Beardtongue and "Foxglove" are not the same, and are completely different species.

While "Foxglove Beardtongue" (Penstemon digitalis) is native to North America, "Foxglove" (Digitalis purpurea) is an import from Europe that has become naturalized in parts of North America. Penstemon digitalis, commonly known as foxglove beardtongue, is a remarkable perennial prized for its tubular white flowers and statuesque presence in the landscape. It is suitable for the perennial border, the natural landscape or prairie reconstructions.

Many tubular, bright-white flowers on strong stems in May and June are magnets for many long-tongued bees. Also visited by many other native bee species, including the two-spotted bumble bee, []. Penstemon digitalis (known by the common names foxglove beard-tongue, [3] foxglove beardtongue, talus slope penstemon, [4] and white beardtongue[5]) is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family, Plantaginaceae.

The flowers are white and are borne in summer. According to Francis W. Pennell it is a native of the Mississippi basin and its occurrences in Canada and the eastern United.

Penstemon digitalis, commonly called foxglove beardtongue or tall white beardtongue, is a clump-forming, Missouri-native perennial which typically grows 3-5' tall and occurs in prairies, fields, wood margins, open woods and along railroad tracks. Features white, two-lipped, tubular flowers (to 1.25" long) borne in panicles atop erect, rigid stems. Introduction to Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) In the quest to create biodiverse and wildlife-friendly gardens, understanding the role of native plants is paramount.

Among the unsung heroes of the North American prairie and woodland edges is the Foxglove Beardtongue, scientifically known as Penstemon digitalis. This striking perennial wildflower, characterized by its tall, elegant. Unlock the secrets to a thriving Foxglove Beardtongue.

Our guide covers everything from ideal planting to year. Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) is a Maryland native plant with spikes of white flowers in late spring. Facts Foxglove beardtongue can reach three to five feet in height, and gets the name beardtongue from the small clump of hairs that grows on one of its five stamens.

The "bearded" stamen is sterile. This very attractive native perennial makes a great flower for the native plant garden.