Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Tree
Origin
South-Central United States
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Penstemon digitalis, Penstemon barbatus, Penstemon heterophyllus
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
2003
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Rocky areas
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
No Available
H1, H2
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
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
-
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long linear and narrow
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
From bulbs
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial 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
Red blotch
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
Matte
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
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Showy Purposes, 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
Bedding Plant, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON cobaea
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Beardtongue
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Beardtongue
Lignum Vitae
In German
Bartfaden
Lignum Vitae
In French
beardtongue
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
beardtongue
Palo santo
In Greek
Beardtongue
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Beardtongue
pau-santo
In Polish
Beardtongue
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
ursus lingua
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Sapindales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
2613
1
27800
👆🏻