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Cupleaf Penstemon

Penstemon murrayanus

Other common name(s):

Scarlet Penstemon, Scarlet Beardtongue, Red Penstemon, Red Beardtongue, Cupleaf Beardtongue

Family:

Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie
Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

0.25
to
0.5
ft.

Spread

1
to
1.5
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Red

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Nectar

Wildlife Benefit

Hummingbirds

Maintenance

Low maintenance needs. Can handle a variety of well-drained soils, part shade and dry conditions. Propagation: Seed.

Comments

Blooms March-June. This is a showy plant. The leaves are cupped and blue-green. The scarlet tubular flowers bloom along a stalk up to a foot long. Attracts hummingbirds. Pollination: hummingbirds, bees, butterflies.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PEMU2. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=17345&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=33954#null

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Contact the State

Contact a local Chapter

State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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