Superb Beardtongue
Penstemon superbus
Family: Plantaginaceae
Perennial plant growing to about 2x2’. Deep pink flowers with white “landing stripes” in throat emerge in spring.
Plant in full to part sun, moderate water with good drainage, hardy to about -20° F. Cut back as necessary.
Bee and hummingbird pollinated. Larval hosts for many moths and butterflies including the following:
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Dark Buckeye (Junonia nigrosuffusa)
Anicia checkerspot (Euphydryas anicia ssp. hermosa)
Arachne Checkerspot (Poladryas arachne)
Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
owlet moths (family Noctuidae)
geometrid moths (family Geometridae)
hummingbird clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe)
Many sources mistakenly translate the Latin name Penstemon as meaning “five stamens”, but this is incorrect. The “pen” in Penstemon doesn’t come from penta (five) but from the Latin paene meaning “nearly” or “almost”, while stemon is derived from Greek for “thread”. “Nearly a thread” is a reference to the staminode, which is almost a functional stamen. The species triflorus might refer to the plant’s tendency to have flowers appear in 2s or 3s, but is uncertain.
Endemic to the Edwards Plateau in Texas on limestone hills, open areas.