Wildflower - Beardtongue

From a distance, the wildflower Beardtongue (Penstamon digitalis) looks like just another white wildflower. A closer look of this 1 inch long tubular flower will show fine lines of violet, which function as nectar guides to visiting insects. There is no floral scent to the flower. The Beardtongue flowers are named for the tuft of hairs on one of the stamens that lies on the bottom of the inside of the tubular flower, and looks a bit like a hairy tongue.



Beardtongue is native to the northeast and can grow to 3 or 4 feet tall.