penstemon

noun

pen·​ste·​mon pen(t)-ˈstē-mən  ˈpen(t)-stə- 

variants or less commonly pentstemon

: any of a genus (Penstemon) of perennial, chiefly North American herbs or low shrubs of the plantain family typically with spikes of showy, two-lipped, tubular flowers with two lobes on the upper lip and three lobes on the lower lip : beardtongue

In the pastel planting, pink penstemons with upright spikes of tubular flowers contrast with such mounding plants as pinks …

—Lynn Ocone

Examples of penstemon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the casual garden, roses contrast and pair wonderfully with the vertical showy spikes of foxgloves, penstemons, delphiniums, stock and snapdragons and the tiny, dainty flowers of alyssum, daisies and nemesia. —Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2025

Plant –Sow cool-season natives like desert marigold and penstemon, which appreciate lower temperatures for germination. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 24 Sep. 2024

The Sutherland Trail offers the best assortment of flowers with poppies, cream cups, lupines, penstemon and desert chicory. —Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024

Only one type of plant, the white-margined penstemon, is being reviewed. —Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from penta- + Greek stēmōn warp, thread — more at stamen

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above