Small-flower Penstemon
Scientific Name: Penstemon parviflorus
Category: plant
Brief Description
A delicate perennial wildflower featuring small, pale pink to purplish tubular flowers with two-lipped corollas.
Characteristics
Slender stems, opposite leaves, and loose clusters of small tubular flowers that are typically light pink or violet with darker purple nectar guides inside the throat.
Habitat
Dry open woods, rocky slopes, clearings, and woodland edges.
When to Find It
Blooms primarily from late spring through mid-summer.
Conservation Status
N/A
Ecological Role
Provides nectar for specialized native bees, butterflies, and other insect pollinators.
Easily Confused With
Other Penstemon species; distinguished mainly by flower size, color, and glandular hair characteristics on the stems and calyx.
Observation Tips
Look for them in sunny rocky clearings or along woodland trails during the early summer flowering season.
Interesting Facts
Penstemon is one of the largest genera of flowering plants native to North America, commonly known as beardtongues due to the sterile stamen covered in hairs.