Penstemon laevigatus Aiton ssp. digitalis (Nutt. ex Sims) Benn.
Penstemon digitalis Nutt. ex Sims
Foxglove beardtongue, talus slope penstemon, white beardtongue
Foxglove beardtongue is a widespread perennial in eastern North America.
Plants: 2–3′ (60–91 cm) high, with one or more erect stems that are green to purple.
Leaves: Lower leaves are mostly smooth-edged, and 1–7″ (2.5–17 cm) long and 1½″ (3.8 cm) wide. Upper leaves are more lanceolate or elliptic in shape, with pointed tips. They are sessile, and opposite. They may have smooth edges or minute teeth.
Flowers: Stalks contain six opposite pairs of flower clusters, each with 3-12 flowers, each about 1″ (2.5 cm) long. Cluster stalks are 1–3″ (2.5–7.6 cm) in length, and green grading to deep red. Flowers are pale blue, lavendar, pink, or white, with 5 petals, appearing from May to June. Flowers and stalks are densely hairy.
Fruits: Dry capsules, ¼–⅜″ (9–12 mm).
Habitats: Fields, roadsides, and open woods, and average to damp soils.
Online References:
Penstemon laevigatus Aiton var. angulatus Benn.
Penstemon laevigatus Aiton ssp. digitalis (Nutt. ex Sims) Benn.
Penstemon laevigatus Aiton ssp. digitalis (Nutt. ex Sims) Benn.
6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 19 cm) 
6/27/2026 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 8 × 9″ (21 × 23 cm) 
6/22/2014 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm) 
6/27/2026 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 2 × 1′ (57 × 38 cm) 
6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm) 
6/22/2014 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 7 × 8″ (16 × 20 cm) 
7/12/2020 · ≈ 6 × 10″ (16 × 24 cm) 
6/27/2026 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 11 × 13″ (27 × 32 cm) 
7/12/2020 · ≈ 4½ × 6″ (11 × 14 cm) 
6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 8″ (21 × 21 cm) 
6/27/2026 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 10 × 14″ (24 × 36 cm) 
7/12/2020 · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Lamiales | Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary |
| Family | Plantaginaceae | Plantains |
| Genus | Penstemon | “Beard-tongues,” a reference to flower shape |
| Species | digitalis | From the Latin for finger, because of the corolla shape |
Penstemon digitalis description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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