A great perennial to add to Nebraska gardens is beardtongue, bearded tongue or Penstemon, pronounced pen-stay-mon. Penstemon is a member of the snapdragon family, having long, tubular flowers that open to five petals. Flowers are produced on tall, showy flower spikes with most species having flowers ranging in color including red, pink, lavender and white.

All Penstemon have opposite leaves varying in shape from the oblong-pointed leaves of P. digitalis, smooth white Penstemon to the rounded, waxy, bluish-gray leaves of P. grandiflorus or shell-leaf Penstemon.

Most Penstemon prefer full sun locations and dry growing conditions, once established. All species are fairly drought tolerant, and in fact, the greatest limitation to Penstemon’s survival in the home garden is poorly drained soil, overwatering in summer and wet winter soils.

‘War Axe’ Penstemon, Penstemon grandiflorus 'War Axe', is an exceptional strain of the beautiful native, shell-leaf Penstemon. This selection has a wide range of colors including pinks, maroon, reds, purples and creamy white. Plants with dark colored flowers are nicely complemented by reddish-pigmented stems. This upright perennial has thick, rounded gray-green leaves neatly arranged along the flower stalk with numerous large tubular flowers from mid to late spring. Handsome, robust seed heads remain attractive all through the fall and winter. Plants form a basal rosette the first year and flower the second year, reaching a height of 2-3 feet. The flower stalks can be removed to increase longevity of the plant or allow it to self-sow in the garden. Penstemons perform best in full sun and well-drained soil. This great plant was discovered by Harlan Hamernik of Bluebird Nursery near the War Axe Wildlife Management Area in south central Nebraska.

The ‘Prairie’ Penstemon series, including ‘Prairie Dawn’ (pale pink), ‘Prairie Dusk’ (clear purple), ‘Prairie Fire’ (coral-red), and ‘Prairie Snow’ (white) are hybrids of mixed parentage. ‘Prairie Splendor’ is a hybrid mix with flower colors including white, rose, lavender and pink. Plants reach between 2-4 feet in height, with a mounded to upright growing habit and narrow lance-shaped green foliage.

P. mexicaule x ‘Red Rocks’ (bright rose-colored flowers) and ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (violet-purple flowers) have narrow, dark green foliage and grow to 15” tall. Finally, P. digitalis ‘Husker Red’, 1996 Perennial Plant of the Year, has deep maroon foliage and spikes of white flowers, growing to 24-30” in height.

Since sunny, dry locations in the garden can be challenging for some plants, so why not try a Penstemon in one of these sites?