Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Nodding red-and-gold lanterns that greet the first spring hummingbirds at a woodland edge.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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- Plant guide
- Foxglove Beardtongue
White
Perennial wildflower
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Airy white bells in early summer, a bridge bloom between spring ephemerals and the summer prairie.
the Northeastthe Mid-Atlanticthe Southeastthe Midwestthe Great Plains
Growing Foxglove Beardtongue
Unfussy in heavy clay and a great clay-buster. 'Husker Red' and wild forms both feed early-season bees heavily. It’s deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, easy to grow, and showy.
Where it grows
Foxglove Beardtongue is native to the Northeast. In the wild you’ll find it across Alabama · Arkansas · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa and 32 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.
Regional Garden shows Foxglove Beardtongue on 42 state pages.
Good for
Sourcing
Where to buy Foxglove Beardtongue
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.
Plant it with
Companions & kin.
Natives that share Foxglove Beardtongue’s range and conditions.
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Pink buds opening to drifts of sky-blue bells, then vanishing underground by summer.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
A compact, drought-proof shrub frothing with white flowers that pollinators and hummingbirds adore.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Ragged lavender crowns that hum with bees, hummingbirds, and clearwing moths; foliage smells of oregano.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug