Flower profile
Cobaea beardtongue
Penstemon cobaea
Cobaea beardtongue is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
Quick look
Penstemon cobaea is a flowering plant in the plantain family, commonly known as Cobaea beardtongue, prairie penstemon or foxglove penstemon. The plant is native to the central United States, primarily the Great Plains from Nebraska to Texas, with additional populations in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas.
- 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 12 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 7,004 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #95 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 383 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #66 among the 109 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 353 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #102 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist
Cobaea beardtongue gift ideas
Handmade cobaea 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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Cobaea beardtongue art print
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Cobaea beardtongue greeting card
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Cobaea beardtongue mug
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Cobaea beardtongue earrings
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Cobaea beardtongue embroidery pattern
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Cobaea beardtongue sticker
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Texas
- Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
- Kansas
- No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kansas.
- Oklahoma
- No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IA (S1). (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?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 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 cobaea beardtongue in 12 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas.
Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Archer, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Callahan, Childress, Clay, Coleman, Collin, Collingsworth, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Fayette, Foard, Goliad, Gonzales, Grayson, Grimes, Hamilton, Hays, Hunt, Jackson, Karnes, Kerr, Lamb, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lubbock, Marion, McLennan, Menard, Montgomery, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Parker, Reagan, Robertson, San Saba, Shackelford, Stephens, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Travis, Uvalde, Victoria, Washington, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson, Wise, Young.
Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Dickinson, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Smith, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson.
Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Carter, Choctaw, Cleveland, Comanche, Dewey, Garvin, Grady, Greer, Johnston, Kiowa, Logan, Love, Major, Marshall, McClain, McCurtain, Murray, Oklahoma, Osage, Pawnee, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Roger Mills, Seminole, Stephens, Tillman, Tulsa, Woods.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PECO4.
- iNaturalist, Penstemon cobaea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Penstemon cobaea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Penstemon cobaea (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.