Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
South-Central United States
Europe, Russia
Types
Penstemon digitalis, Penstemon barbatus, Penstemon heterophyllus
Symphytum officinale (common comfrey), Symphytum asperum (rough comfrey)
Number of Varieties
2002
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Rocky areas
Cold Regions, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-86-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
-
Sunset Zone
No Available
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Red, Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Red, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long linear and narrow
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
From bulbs
Root Division, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Water daily during growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shallow soil, Sun
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
-
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Ants, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
-
Antibacterial, Peripheral Edema
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Beautiful Skin, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Fixes Nitrogen
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Asthma, Diarrhea, Obesity, Osteoarthritis
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Leaves, Twigs
Other Uses
Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON cobaea
Symphytum asperum
Common Name
Beardtongue
Comfrey,Black Root, Blackwort, Bruisewort
In Hindi
Beardtongue
Blackwort
In German
Bartfaden
Blackwort
In French
beardtongue
Blackwort
In Spanish
beardtongue
Blackwort
In Greek
Beardtongue
Blackwort
In Portuguese
Beardtongue
Blackwort
In Polish
Beardtongue
Blackwort
In Latin
ursus lingua
Blackwort
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Lamiales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Boraginaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Symphytum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Boraginoideae
Number of Species
26135
1
27800
👆🏻