Large Flowered Beardtongue (Penstemon grandiflorus)
Large Flowered Beardtongue flowers attract many kinds of native bees. It is the host plant for the Baltimore Checkerspot, the Common Buckeye, and 11 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org). It is also the host plant for the specialist bee Osmia distincta (Johnson and Colla, 2023). At the present time, there is little information available about the relationships between Large-Flowered Penstemon and vertebrate animals.
Photo credit: Andrey Zharkikh (1), John Blair (2-3)
Large Flowered Beardtongue flowers attract many kinds of native bees. It is the host plant for the Baltimore Checkerspot, the Common Buckeye, and 11 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org). It is also the host plant for the specialist bee Osmia distincta (Johnson and Colla, 2023). At the present time, there is little information available about the relationships between Large-Flowered Penstemon and vertebrate animals.
Photo credit: Andrey Zharkikh (1), John Blair (2-3)
Large Flowered Beardtongue flowers attract many kinds of native bees. It is the host plant for the Baltimore Checkerspot, the Common Buckeye, and 11 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org). It is also the host plant for the specialist bee Osmia distincta (Johnson and Colla, 2023). At the present time, there is little information available about the relationships between Large-Flowered Penstemon and vertebrate animals.
Photo credit: Andrey Zharkikh (1), John Blair (2-3)
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial sun (seems to prefer full sun)
Soil Moisture: Medium, Dry
Height: 2 feet
Plant Spacing: 8-12 inches
Bloom Time: May-June
Bloom Color: Purple
Advantages: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant, Great Landscaping Plant
Host Plant: Baltimore Checkerspot, the Common Buckeye, and 11 other species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)
Specialist Bee: Mason Bee Osmia distincta (Johnson and Colla, 2023)
Beneficial for Endangered or Threatened Species: Saunders' Sallow Moth (Sympistis saundersiana) (mnfi.anr.msu.edu)
Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023
