Scientific Name: Penstemon barbatus
Alternate Common Names: Bearded Penstemon, Golden-beard Penstemon, Scarlet Bugler
Native Range: California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado south to southern Mexico
Attracts: hummingbirds, butterflies
Plant Type: perennial
Flower Colors: red
Bloom period: May-July
Mature Size (w x h): 24″ x 48″ (61 x  122 mm)
Hardiness: -15°F/-26°C
Water Needs: low to moderate
Light: full sun to partial shade

The scarlet blossoms of Beardlip Penstemon appear in late spring in the foothills and early to mid-summer in the higher elevations. Though the rosette of leaves is no more than a few inches tall, the flower stalks can reach over 5 feet (152 cm). Horticulturists have used this species as the basis for many hybrid cultivars, and nurseries often sell plants of hybrid origin under this name. Penstemons occur across the contiguous United States and Mexico to northern Central America. “Penstemon” and “beardtongue” refer to the often fuzzy or hairy staminode, an infertile stamen.