Lyall's beardtongue
Penstemon lyallii · Scrophulariaceae
Lyall's beardtongue (Penstemon lyallii) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Scrophulariaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 4 and warmer, down to about -23°F.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 2.5 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | slow USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–8 USDA |
| Bloom | May–June USDA |
| Flower color | Purple USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 4 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | herb-layer Derived |
| Nursery availability | Contracting Only USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 4.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 2.5 ft, making it about knee height. It grows slowly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of May through June. Flowers are purple.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 14 to 26 inches of annual precipitation. The low end of that band is genuinely arid, so it has a wide tolerance for dry country. It needs at least 90 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Seed is the only propagation method USDA lists. Division and cuttings are not listed as options. Seed needs cold stratification — a period of moist chilling — before it will germinate, so sow in autumn or chill it artificially before a spring sowing. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated medium. Its growth form is recorded as single crown.
Role in a guild
Herb layer. In a layered planting this is the herbaceous middle — perennials and grasses that fill the space between ground cover and shrubs. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Penstemon
- sharpleaf penstemon Penstemon acuminatus
- Alberta beardtongue Penstemon albertinus
- broadbeard beardtongue Penstemon angustifolius
- yellow penstemon Penstemon confertus
Similar role and hardiness
- common oat Avena sativa
- Caucasian bluestem Bothriochloa bladhii
- black grama Bouteloua eriopoda
- cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus
- Carolina fanwort Cabomba caroliniana
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol PELY2, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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