Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
South-Central United States
Types
Guaiacum officinale
Penstemon digitalis, Penstemon barbatus, Penstemon heterophyllus
Number of Varieties
3200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
Rocky areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-155-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
No Available
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
White, Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Long linear and narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Consistently
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune to stimulate growth
Remove damaged leaves
Fertilizers
Fertilize three times a year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Hummingbirds, 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
Bark, Sap
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
PENSTEMON cobaea
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Beardtongue
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
Beardtongue
In German
Lignum Vitae
Bartfaden
In French
Lignum Vitae
beardtongue
In Spanish
Palo santo
beardtongue
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
Beardtongue
In Portuguese
pau-santo
Beardtongue
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
Beardtongue
In Latin
lignum Vitae
ursus lingua
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Equisetopsida
Order
Sapindales
Lamiales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Penstemon
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
3261
1
27800
👆🏻