Wasatch Wildflowers: Wasatch Penstemon (penstemon cyananthus var. cyananthus)

Photo: Wasatch Penstemon (penstemon cyananthus var. cyananthus) – photo:Ashley Brown

WASATCH MOUNTAINS, Utah — The Wasatch penstemon, also known as Wasatch beardtongue, is a native perennial herb distinguished by electric blue blossoms. The tube-shaped flowers are often buzzing with pollinators and provide an important food source for hummingbirds.

The plant grows between one and four feet tall. The lance-shaped leaves are opposite each other, with numerous flowers on each spike. The tubular flowers have a 3-lobed lower lip and a 2-lobed upper lib. The blossoms range from sky blue to royal blue to indigo.

Look for Wasatch penstemon in sagebrush and oak communities between 4000-7500 feet from mid-spring through summer.