Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Tender Perennial
Origin
South-Central United States
Southern Africa
Types
Penstemon digitalis, Penstemon barbatus, Penstemon heterophyllus
Perennial
Number of Varieties
20050
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Rocky areas
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-88-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
10-8
Sunset Zone
No Available
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm61.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long linear and narrow
Grass like
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From bulbs
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Requires regular watering
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves
Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Nematodes, Scale
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Root
Other Uses
Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON cobaea
DIETES bicolor
Common Name
Beardtongue
African iris, Fortnight lily
In Hindi
Beardtongue
African Iris
In German
Bartfaden
Afrikanische Iris
In French
beardtongue
African Iris
In Spanish
beardtongue
Iris africano
In Greek
Beardtongue
Αφρικανική Iris
In Portuguese
Beardtongue
Iris africano
In Polish
Beardtongue
Afryki Iris
In Latin
ursus lingua
African Iris
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Asparagales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Dietes
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Irideae
Subfamily
-
Iridoideae
Number of Species
261300
1
27800
👆🏻