Flower profile
Parry's beardtongue
Penstemon parryi
Parry's beardtongue (Penstemon parryi) is a flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly February–May across the U.S.
Parry's beardtongue is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Arizona it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona
Quick look
Penstemon parryi, the Parry's penstemon, Parry's beardtongue or desert penstemon, is a wildflower native to the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona and northern Mexico. It is a perennial that blooms in March and April. In the wild, plants flower in their second year. In cultivation, flowering is often achieved in the first year if seed is planted in the autumn.
- 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 1 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,998 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #46 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in February–May.
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
- 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 parry's beardtongue in 1 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Gila, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 5 counties across 1 states; the most are in Arizona (5).
Other Penstemon on Bloomipedia (16): Foxglove beardtongue, Cobaea beardtongue, Whipple's penstemon, Beardlip penstemon, Palmer's penstemon, Front range beardtongue, Firecracker penstemon, Large-flowered beardtongue, Sidebells penstemon, Royal beardtongue.
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 Arizona flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PEPA24.
- iNaturalist, Penstemon parryi: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Penstemon parryi (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- 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 parryi (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Mark Pollock via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.