Meet the Plants: More BeardtonguesCommon southwest species include Beardlip/Scarlet bugler (top row, 2nd from left), Palmer’s beardtongue (top, 3rd from right), and Rocky Mountain beardtongue (bottom row, 2nd from right).I previously shared a few common garden Penstemon in this post. Yesterday, I was watching a talk on Penstemon by Dr. Andi Wolfe (Ohio State University) and she has some beautiful slides. Please enjoy this look at Penstemon diversity.The shape and size of Penstemon flowers varies dramatically. Top row, second from the left, is Penstemon barbatus, a common wild and garden plant in Arizona and New Mexico.Botanists use the anthers (male reproductive organs) of Penstemon flowers to classify species.In the bottom of most Penstemon flowers is the staminode aka beardtongue. One theory states that this provides a landing platform for bees to enter the flowers. Please leave this field emptyOh, hi there! 👋It’s nice to meet you.Sign up to receive notifications of new content and sales. This field is required.We don’t spam or sell your info!Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.Share this:FacebookXWhatsAppPinterestRedditPrintLike this:Like Loading... Published by Elliott@PW Elliott Gordon View all posts by Elliott@PW