Our first plant to bloom in Hope Meadow after planting is the Beardtongue. The meadow has about 2.0% seeded and 100 plugs of Beardtongue. This flower gets its silly name from the sterile stamen that has small tufts of hair. The Latin name digitalis means “finger-like” after the flowers that resemble fingers of a glove.
This wonderful perennial has white flowers and stands about 2-3 feet tall. It blooms from late spring to early summer. The flowers attract many pollinators including humming birds, bees and butterflies. Beardtongue is easily grown in flowerbeds, meadows, fields, prairies and woodland edges. It prefers full to part sun in well-drained clay, loamy and sandy soils. It can also tolerate dry shade and deer grazing.
Soil – clay, loamy and sandy
Soil pH – 5.5-7
Moisture – Dry to moist
Flower color – White to faintly purple
Height – 2-5 feet, usually 3 feet
Blooms – June - August
Pollinators
- Hummingbirds
- Bumble Bees
- Honey Bees
- Miner Bees
- Mason Bees
- Native Bees
- Butterflies
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penstemon_digitalis
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=pedi
Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping - Chesapeake Bay Watershed U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service