Beardtongue, Hairy - Penstemon hirsutus

Penstemon hirsutus, also known as Hairy Beardtongue, is a perennial wildflower native to Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. It reaches 2 feet tall and flowers from June to July with a pink and white tubular blossom appreciated by migrating hummingbirds.

It can use full sun to full shade, medium-wet all the way to dry soil, and will grow in clay, loam, rocky soils, or sand. Hairy Beardtongue is a great plant for poor soil, especially shaded areas, but it looks even more luscious in better soils. Its early bloom time and copious clusters of flowers make it valuable to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. In fall, foliage turns red and persists intact through the winter, allowing it to get a head start on spring growth and being one of our earliest spring flowers.