| Description | Dwarf Hairy Beard Tongue (Penstemon hirsutus) A dwarf, prostrate Penstemon that becomes covered with lavender tubular flowers with white throat. |
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| Pronunciation | (pen-STAY-mon)(her-su-T-us) |
| Plant Type | Perennials Hardy, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 3-9 |
| Sunlight | full, mostly sunny, part shade, some shade |
| Moisture | average, additional water during dry spells helps |
| Soil & Site | aveage, well drained |
| Flowers | lavender, white throats, tubular, hundreds on one mature plant |
| Leaves | lance shaped green leaves, reddish purple stems |
| Stems | downy |
| Dimensions | 6 inches tall, 12 inches wide, prostrate |
| Propagation | easy by division, seeds need 90 days cold stratification |
| Cultivar Origin | Species plant from Wisconsin east to New England and Ontario. |
| Misc Facts | The common and scientific names refer to the tufted sterile stamen. |
| Author's Notes | I grew this Penstemon once in a well drained, hot dry area. It did very well the first couple of years. During one summer when it was very hot and dry, I neglected to water them and they declined. Although many sources say they are drought tolerant, I tend to think some additional water during hot dry spells helps. After 3 or more years with no Pentstemon hirsutus in my garden a few popped up. |
| Notes & Reference | #119-Growing Penstemons (Dale Lindgren, Ellen Wilde), #237-Penstemons (Peter Nord) |
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