Davisdale Conservation Area is in Howard County, 15 miles west of Columbia and seven miles east of Boonville on Highway 40.
Media
Scientific Name
Penstemon digitalis
Family
Plantaginaceae (plantains); formerly Scrophulariaceae (figworts)
Description
Foxglove beardtongue, or smooth beardtongue, is a showy flower that is popular in native gardening. It is the tallest of the four white-flowered penstemons in Missouri.
Foxglove beardtongue is a clump-forming, perennial herb that can potentially grow to 4 feet tall.
The stem leaves are opposite, lance-shaped, sessile (stalkless), with small, widely spaced teeth.
The flowers are in loose terminal clusters; each flower 1¼ inches long, irregular, with 2 lips: the upper 2-lobed, the lower 3-lobed. Of the 5 stamens, 1 is modified into a hairy “tongue” and positioned centrally, probably to attract insects for pollination (hence the name "beard tongue").
Blooms May–July.
Similar species: This is one of 7 species of Penstemon that are native to Missouri.
Other Common Names
Smooth Beard-Tongue
Foxglove Penstemon
Tall White Beard-Tongue
Size
Height: to 4 feet, but usually shorter.
Where To Find
Statewide, except extreme northwestern counties.
Habitat and Conservation
Occurs in rich or low moist woodlands and woodland borders, thickets, prairies, old fields, rights-of-way.
Status
Native Missouri wildflower.
Human Connections
This is a popular native plant for landscaping, and cultivars are available that have (for example) burgundy foliage or different-colored flowers. This species is striking when massed in sunny borders. Penstemons are some of our continent's most attractive native flowers.
Ecosystem Connections
This plant attracts bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. Apparently, few herbivores eat its foliage. The roots (along with those of all the other plants) help to stabilize the soil, even during seasons when this perennial plant is dormant.
Penstemons used to be placed in the Scrophulariaceae, the snapdragon or figwort family. Recently, botanists have been using molecular (DNA) analysis to study relationships among plant groups. They have determined that the former "scroph" family contained several groups of plants that had such separate lineages that they truly belonged in other families, so the Scrophulariaceae was broken up. Penstemons are now placed in the Plantaginaceae, or plantain family.
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Media Gallery
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Caption
The flowers of foxglove beardtongue are white, tubular, with 2 lobes above and 3 below. They are arranged in clusters on a stout stalk that can grow to 4 feet tall.
Credit
David Stonner
Right to Use
Photo by David Stonner, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Where to See Species
About Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants in Missouri
A very simple way of thinking about the green world is to divide the vascular plants into two groups: woody and nonwoody (or herbaceous). But this is an artificial division; many plant families include some species that are woody and some that are not. The diversity of nonwoody vascular plants is staggering! Think of all the ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, peas, sunflowers, nightshades, milkweeds, mustards, mints, and mallows — weeds and wildflowers — and many more!