Flower profile

Wasatch beardtongue

Penstemon cyananthus

Wasatch beardtongue (Penstemon cyananthus) is a flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native to Utah

Wasatch beardtongue is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Utah it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

4states where USDA records it

1,285UT sightings*

1,423U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Utah

Quick look

Penstemon cyananthus, commonly the Wasatch penstemon, is a species in the veronica family from the northern United States in the Rocky Mountains.
From Wikipedia's article Penstemon cyananthus, 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 4 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Utah. ^NatureServe
In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as blue. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2.5 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 1,285 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #39 among the 153 flowers on our Utah list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Utah, most flowering sightings come in May–July.

Flowering records by month in Utah (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (309 records)

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
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
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?

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 wasatch beardtongue in 4 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming.

Utah counties with USDA records: Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Juab, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake, Sanpete, Summit, Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, Weber.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Wasatch beardtongue a high shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.8 to 7.4 and winter lows down to -23 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 5.8 to 7.4
Minimum temperature tolerated: -23 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 110
Annual precipitation range: 16 to 35 inches
Minimum root depth: 14 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Slow
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for PECY2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 35 counties across 3 states; the most are in Idaho (17), Utah (15), Wyoming (3).

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 Utah flowers

Firecracker penstemon

Penstemon eatonii

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: April–June

Palmer's penstemon

Penstemon palmeri

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: May–June

Balkan toadflax

Linaria dalmatica

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in UT: May–September

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PECY2.
iNaturalist, Penstemon cyananthus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Penstemon cyananthus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Penstemon cyananthus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Daughter Dad via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.