Penstemon linarioides, Toadflax Penstemon, Southwest Desert Flora

Penstemon linarioides, Toadflax Penstemon

Toadflax Penstemon has beautiful showy blue-purple flowers that bloom from June to August. Penstemon linarioides

Toadflax Penstemon is also called Colorado Narrowleaf Beardtongue and several other local names. Penstemon linarioides

Toadflax Penstemon is a member of the Snapdragon Family and has flowers similar to Snapdragons. Penstemon linarioides

Toadflax Penstemon is an herb or subshrub that grows up to 2 ½ feet or so. Penstemon linarioides

Scientific Name: Penstemon linarioides
Common Name: Toadflax Penstemon
Also Called: Colorado Narrowleaf Beardtongue, Creeping Penstemon, Maguire's Penstemon, Siler's Penstemon, Toadflax Beardtongue
Family: Scrophulariaceae, Figwort or Snapdragon Family - Moving to Plantaginaceae
Synonyms: ()
Status: Native
Duration: Perennial
Size: Up to 2 or 2 ½ feet or more.
Growth Form: Forb/herb, subshrub;
Leaves: Green, grayish, greenish; same color on both leaf surfaces; narrowly linear
Flower Color: Blue, blue-violet, purplish; corolla bilaterally symmetrical; flowers turned to one side, narrow long clusters toward upper end of stems.
Flowering Season: June to August in Arizona and Texas.
Elevation: 4,500 to 9,000 feet.

Habitat Preferences: Often on calcareous soil; open, often rocky soil at moderate elevations in Texas.

Recorded Range: Penstemon linarioides is found in the southwestern United States in; AZ, CO, NM, NV, UT. It is also native to northern Mexico. In Arizona it is found throughout most of the state but with few or no records in La Paz, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Penstemon linarioides.

U.S. Weed Information: No information available.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: No information available.
Wetland Indicator: No information available.
Threatened/Endangered Information: No information available.

Genus Information: In North America there are 250 species and 393 accepted taxa overall for Penstemon. World wide, The Plant List includes 301 accepted species names and includes a further 188 infraspecific rank for the genus.

In the Southwestern United States, Arizona there are 43 species of Penstemon, in California there are 55 species, Nevada has 50 species, New Mexico has 47 species, Texas has 24 species, Utah has 73 species. All data is approximate and subject to taxonomic changes.

There are 5 subsp. in Penstemon linarioides;
Penstemon linarioides subsp. coloradoensis, Toadflax Penstemon, (AZ, CO, NM);
Penstemon linarioides subsp. compactifolius, Toadflax Beardtongue, (AZ, NV);
Penstemon linarioides subsp. linarioides, Toadflax Beardtongue, (AZ, CO, NM);
Penstemon linarioides subsp. maguirei, Maguire's Penstemon, (AZ, NM);
Penstemon linarioides subsp. sileri, Siler's Penstemon, (AZ, NV, UT).

Comments: As with many of the Penstemons, the showy flowers attract native honey bees.