Flower profile

Large-flowered beardtongue

Penstemon grandiflorus

Native in the lower 48

Large-flowered beardtongue is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.

20states

4of our state lists

3,981U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Quick look

Penstemon grandiflorus, known by the common names shell-leaved penstemon, shell-leaf beardtongue, or large-flowered penstemon, is a tall and showy plant in the Penstemon genus from the plains of North America. Due to its large flowers it has found a place in gardens, particularly ones aimed at low water usage like xeriscape gardens.
From Wikipedia's article Penstemon grandiflorus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Plantaginaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 20 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. ^NatureServe
In Minnesota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
In Nebraska, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,602 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #86 among the 110 flowers on our Minnesota list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 443 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #17 among the 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 435 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #24 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

Large-flowered beardtongue gift ideas

Handmade large-flowered beardtongue gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Large-flowered beardtongue art print
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Large-flowered beardtongue mug
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Large-flowered beardtongue earrings
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Large-flowered beardtongue embroidery pattern
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (389 records)

Bloom time in each of our 4 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Minnesota	Native	May–June	1,602
Nebraska	Native	May–July	443
South Dakota	Native	May–June	435
North Dakota	Native	June	119

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
Nebraska: Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. ^{163 NAC 4-004}
South Dakota: No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S1), IL (S2), MO (S1), MT (S1), OK (S1), WY (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records large-flowered beardtongue in 20 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Anoka, Becker, Benton, Big Stone, Brown, Cass, Chippewa, Clay, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Norman, Otter Tail, Pipestone, Polk, Ramsey, Renville, Rock, Scott, Sherburne, St. Louis, Stearns, Traverse, Washington, Wright, Yellow Medicine.

Nebraska counties with USDA records: Antelope, Blaine, Boone, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Butler, Cass, Cedar, Cherry, Cuming, Custer, Dawes, Dixon, Dodge, Douglas, Greeley, Hall, Holt, Howard, Jefferson, Kearney, Keya Paha, Knox, Lancaster, Loup, Madison, Otoe, Pierce, Platte, Rock, Sarpy, Saunders, Sheridan, Sioux, Stanton, Thomas.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Bon Homme, Brookings, Buffalo, Butte, Charles Mix, Clay, Codington, Corson, Custer, Day, Fall River, Grant, Gregory, Jones, Lawrence, Lincoln, Meade, Mellette, Pennington, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union.

More Minnesota flowers

Butter-and-eggs (common toadflax)

Linaria vulgaris

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in MN: June–October

Culver's root

Veronicastrum virginicum

Native

🌼 Blooms in MN: July–August

White-flower beardtongue

Penstemon albidus

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PEGR7.
iNaturalist, Penstemon grandiflorus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Penstemon grandiflorus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Penstemon grandiflorus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Liren Varghese via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.