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 plantain 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

Examples of penstemon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its fragrant yellow blooms, whose production increases as the weather warms, look like a cross between those of a penstemon and a snapdragon, which are familial kin. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 14 Mar. 2026

Nectar-producing plants such as penstemon, bee balm, and columbine appeal to hummingbirds. —Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026

As the flood was beginning to wane, a monarch was crossing the valley, momentarily dipping down to sip nectar from a patch of penstemons still standing. —Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026

But smaller tubular flowers, such as penstemon and pentas, can attract both types of pollinators. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above