Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants, Herbs
Tree
Origin
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
-
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
563
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mountains, Upland
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-2
12-10
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
H1, H2
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Rose, Crimson
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Salt
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
From bulbs
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Requires a lot of watering
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Root rot
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Broken Bones, Burns, Sore throat, Stomach aliments, Urine infections
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON barbatus
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Beardlip Penstemon, Scarlet Beardtongue
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Beardlip Penstemon
Lignum Vitae
In German
Beardlip Penstemon
Lignum Vitae
In French
penstemon beardlip
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
penstemon beardlip
Palo santo
In Greek
beardlip penstemon
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
penstemon beardlip
pau-santo
In Polish
beardlip penstemon
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Birdlip penstemon
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Sapindales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Dicotyledonous, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
403
1
27800
👆🏻