The close-up picture above is enough to explain the common name “Beardtongue.” These beautiful native flowers are often grown in gardens, but they are also common delights in the wild in our area. These plants were blooming in Bird Park, Mount Lebanon.
For a description of the species, see the Penstemon digitalis reference page.
A beautiful native flower, prized by gardeners, that is surprisingly common around here. This plant was growing in recently disturbed ground near a construction site—always a good place to look for interesting plants—along the Monongahela on the South Side. The pictures were taken on June 10.
For a fuller description, see the Penstemon digitalis reference page.
In the close-up picture below, we can see the hairy tongue, inside the tube of the flower, that gives “beardtongues” their name.
