Foxglove Beardtongue

Penstemon digitalis

$39⁵⁶

In Stock

Enter your ZIP code to check shipping availability.

Find your Growing Zone

Plant Size

#1 Container

Product variants

Plant Sentry™

Delivery and Shipping

Understanding Plant Options

Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:

Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements

Container Plant Sizes

Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.

Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2" x 2" x 3"	0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts	0.20 - 0.23 dry liters
4" Container	0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts	0.35 - 0.96 dry liters
4.5" Container	0.65 dry quarts	0.72 dry liters
6" Container	1.4 dry quarts	1.59 dry liters
1 Quart	1 dry quart	1.1 dry liters
5.5" Container	1.89 dry quarts	2.08 dry liters

Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2 Quart	2 dry quarts	2.2 dry liters
#1 Container	2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts	2.49 - 4.11 dry liters
5" x 5" x 12"	3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts	3.85 - 4.74 dry liters

Mature Plants (2-4 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#2 Container	1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons	5.24 - 7.75 dry liters
#3 Container	2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons	8.14 - 12.16 dry liters

Large Plants (3-5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#5 Container	2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons	12.86 - 20.35 dry liters
#6 Container	5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons	23.12 - 26.42 dry liters
#7 Container	5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons	26.34 - 28.76 dry liters

Bare Root Plants

Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.

Common Sizes:

Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet

Important Notes

Container Volume Specifications

Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents

Growing Conditions

Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment

Seasonal Availability

Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
Container plants are available throughout the growing season
Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes

Questions?

For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.

Plant Profile & Growing Essentials

Cold hardy, Native, Low Maintenance, Flowering, Deer-resistant, Clay Tolerant, Heat Tolerant, Drought resistant, Attracts Hummingbirds, and Attracts pollinators

Specifications

Botanical Name

Penstemon digitalis
Height

3-5 ft
Width

1-2 ft
Growing Zones

3-8
Sunlight
- Full sun
Growth Rate

Moderate
Flower Color
- White
Leaf Color
- Green
Native

Yes
Pollinator Friendly

Yes
Pollinator Required

No
Bloom Period

Early Spring, Late Spring
Does Not Ship To

AK, HI, ID, MT

Planting & Care Instructions

Where to Plant

Sunlight: Foxglove Beardtongue requires full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sun daily, for the most robust stems and plentiful blooms. While partial shade is acceptable, be aware this will result in slightly leggier stems and a reduced intensity of flower production.
Soil: The key to success is well-draining, average soil, as this native plant hates saturated roots, especially over winter. If you are dealing with heavy clay, incorporate generous amounts of coarse sand and compost to drastically improve drainage before planting.

Watering Requirements

During the first growing season, give your new plant a good soak two or three times a week to encourage a deep, resilient root system. Once the plant is established, it becomes wonderfully drought-tolerant and rarely needs supplemental water unless you experience a prolonged, severe dry spell. Inconsistent watering during bloom time will not kill the plant, but it will certainly lead to smaller, stressed blooms and less impressive flowering spikes.

Pruning Tips

This perennial blooms reliably on new wood, so the time to prune is late winter or early spring, just as the new growth begins to emerge. Cut the entire plant back to a few inches above the soil crown to remove the old, woody stems. This technique clears away winter debris and allows the new foliage to emerge cleanly, promoting a vigorous, full clump for the season ahead.

Fertilizer Needs

Foxglove Beardtongue is a tough plant that performs best in lean soil, so often no fertilizer is needed at all. If you suspect your soil is truly depleted, apply a light application of a balanced slow-release granular fertilizer in early spring as new shoots appear. What to Avoid: Never feed your plant high-nitrogen fertilizer late in the season, as this will push soft, tender new growth that will be highly vulnerable to rot and frost damage during the winter.

Growing Zones 3-8

Find Your Growing Zone!

Many homeowners prefer to use native plants where they can, and we're so excited to offer Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) available for your home garden! This is a lovely and elegant perennial that delivers quite a show from late spring through mid-summer!

You'll be rewarded for your dedication by a wonderful show of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators dancing along the long, airy spires of charming white flowers. This is an easy and beautiful way to make a real positive impact on your local ecology! The tubular-shaped blooms are also of considerable interest to hummingbirds!

So many of our native plants have a rough texture, but not this gem. From its long, smooth leaves to the delicate flowers, this plant begs for a special place in your garden. After all, you'll want to be able to study it! Of the hundreds of native species of Beardtongue, all but one are found right here in USDA growing zones 3 through 8! So you just know these plants are hardy and adaptable! It grows at the edge of the forest, so it can handle some light shade, but you'll see fewer blooms.

Planting and Application:

This native form is a larval Host Plant for many types of butterflies and moths, so include them in a Wildflower garden, add height to a Prairie, or naturalized Meadow garden! Perfect vertical structure and lacy blooms for a well-drained spot in your garden, Perennial border, and as a focal point to a Cottage garden. Gorgeous blooms, you'll gain delicate, tall flowering stems for your bouquets indoors!

Beardtongues are water-wise plants, so could be considered for dry parts of your landscape, Rock Gardens, and that hell strip between the road and sidewalk, and mailbox plantings. Cold-hardy perennials that are drought-tolerant once established, making Penstemon perfect for Fire-wise landscaping and Rock gardens.

How about placing a Penstemon at the start of a path? Planted in a massed display, they will create a softly upright, vertical accent! This is an energetic plant that would be a nice dance partner planted behind a cute, tough Groundcover Rose.

Pink-Tinged White Tubular Blooms
Upright Mounding Herbaceous Perennial
Pretty & Graceful Hardy Native Selections
Very Easy-Care
Brings Bees, Butterflies & Hummingbirds
Specimen, Rock Gardens, Borders & Prairie Plants

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Penstemon flowers best in full sun and in well-drained soil conditions, preferring average soil types on the lean side. Provide regular moisture access throughout their first year, but once these herbaceous perennials are established, they are blissfully drought-tolerant and xeric! Provide a 3-4 inch thick layer of Mulch around their crowns.

These are very cold-tolerant; you can leave these seed heads as winter interest and attract songbirds, or deadhead them to tidy up the mounds in fall. Trim all foliage down in late fall after frost, and divide every few years to maintain the vigor of the crown, and you get a second plant out of the deal!

Blooms Best in Full Sun
Adaptable - Average to Low Moisture Needs
Any Very Well-Drained Soil
Drought-Tolerant Once Established
Deer & Rabbit-Resistant

Order this graceful native butterfly magnet today! Hardiness and grace go hand in hand with the lovely Foxglove Beardtongue at NatureHills.com!

Under $50	$9.99
$50 - $99.99	$14.99
$100 - $149.99	$16.99
$150 - $198.99	$24.99
$199+	FREE

Foxglove Beardtongue

Penstemon digitalis

Plant Sentry™

Delivery and Shipping

Specifications