Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Penstemon incertus is a species of penstemon known by the common name Mojave beardtongue. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in many of the southeastern mountain ranges, including the southern reaches of the Sierra Nevada, the Tehachapis, and the mountains of the Mojave Desert region. It is a member of the flora in scrub and woodland, among Joshua Trees and in sandy washes. It is a rounded, branching, erect shrub reaching one meter in maximum height. The thick leaves are linear to lance-shaped with rolled, untoothed edges and reaching up to 7 centimeters. The hairy flower cluster produces several wide-mouthed tubular or funnel-shaped flowers measuring 2 to 3 centimeters long. The flowers are blue-purple, hairy on the outer surface and mostly hairless inside except for the hairy staminode.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

8 - 40 in Tall

Calscape icon
Color

Blue

Flowering season

Spring

Special uses

Containers

Sun

Full Sun

Soil drainage

Fast

Propagation

For propagating by seed: No treatment. (Everett 1950).

Site type

Sandy washes and slopes

Plant communities

Joshua Tree Woodland, Sagebrush Scrub

Hummingbirds
Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 12 likely

Confirmed Likely

Geranium Plume Moth

Amblyptilia pica

Archirhoe neomexicana

Verbena Bud Moth

Endothenia hebesana

Anicia Checkerspot

Euphydryas anicia