Flower profile
Beardlip penstemon
Penstemon barbatus
Beardlip penstemon (Penstemon barbatus) is a flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.
Beardlip penstemon is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona, New Mexico
Quick look
Penstemon barbatus, known by the common names golden-beard penstemon, and beardlip penstemon, is a flowering plant native to the western United States.
- 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 6 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to New Mexico and Arizona. NatureServe
- In New Mexico, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,122 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #13 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,936 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #49 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | Native | June–August | 2,122 |
| Arizona | Native | June–August | 1,936 |
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
- New Mexico
- Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
- Arizona
- Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
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.
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 beardlip penstemon in 6 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Texas, Utah.
New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Dona Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Los Alamos, Luna, McKinley, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yavapai.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 65 counties across 6 states; the most are in Colorado (21), New Mexico (21), Arizona (11).
Other Penstemon on Bloomipedia (16): Foxglove beardtongue, Cobaea beardtongue, Whipple's penstemon, Palmer's penstemon, Front range beardtongue, Firecracker penstemon, Large-flowered beardtongue, Sidebells penstemon, Royal beardtongue, Hot rock penstemon.
More from the Plantaginaceae family (29 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Bird's-eye speedwell, Butter-and-eggs (common toadflax), Purple foxglove, White turtlehead, Heath speedwell, Canada toadflax, Culver's root, Texas toadflax.
More New Mexico flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PEBA2.
- iNaturalist, Penstemon barbatus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Penstemon barbatus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
- New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Penstemon barbatus (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Cecelia Alexander via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.