penstemon

noun

pen·​ste·​mon pen(t)-ˈstē-mən  ˈpen(t)-stə- 

variants or less commonly pentstemon

: any of a genus (Penstemon) of perennial, chiefly North American herbs or low shrubs of the snapdragon family typically with spikes of showy, two-lipped, tubular flowers with two lobes on the upper lip and three lobes on the lower lip : beardtongue

In the pastel planting, pink penstemons with upright spikes of tubular flowers contrast with such mounding plants as pinks …

—Lynn Ocone

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Every inch of the perimeter is covered with plastic and ceramic pots brimming with buckwheat and verbena, dudleya, penstemon and black sage. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2023

Dark Towers penstemon would be a good choice. —Chris Mckeown, The Enquirer, 27 Jan. 2022

What to look for: The Sutherland Trail offers the best assortment of flowers with fields of poppies, cream cups, lupines, penstemon and desert chicory. —Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 3 Feb. 2023

Nectar-producing plants such as penstemon, bee balm, and columbine are attractive to hummingbirds. —Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023

Repeat combinations in different beds, such as clusters of alliums, coneflowers and penstemon next to moor grass. —Lauren Dunec Hoang, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2022

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from penta- + Greek stēmōn warp, thread — more at stamen

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above