firleaf beardtongue
Penstemon abietinus Pennell
Firleaf beardtongue is a small, long-lived subshrub of Utah’s mountain country. Its spreading, much-branched shoots arise from a substantial woody base, so the flowering plant remains close to the ground. Fine grayish hairs cover the stems, while narrow leaves give the shoots their distinctive texture. Ohio State University Wolfe Lab: Penstemon abietinusPennell: Scrophulariaceae of the central Rocky Mountain states
Botanical name
Penstemon abietinus is retained as a species in the Ohio State University Penstemon database and ITIS. Ohio State University Wolfe Lab: Penstemon abietinus
Recognizing the plant
The leaves are stalkless, thickened and pale green, with smooth margins and pointed tips. Larger blades in Pennell’s original description are about 10–12 mm long and scarcely more than one millimeter wide. Few-flowered clusters are so short that the blossoms can appear to arise directly from the leaf axils. The blue corolla is about 12–15 mm long, with two upper lobes and three spreading lower lobes. Inside lies the sterile stamen, densely clothed with golden-yellow hairs. Pennell: Scrophulariaceae of the central Rocky Mountain states
Bloom window
Utah
The documented flowering season extends from late May through July. Ohio State University Wolfe Lab: Penstemon abietinus
Native range
The main documented range is the Fish Lake Plateau in Utah’s Sevier County. Plants grow in loose, gravelly soils derived from limestone, usually among pinyon, juniper and oak, at approximately 2,000–2,600 m. Ohio State University Wolfe Lab: Penstemon abietinus
Botanical sources
- Ohio State University Wolfe Lab: Penstemon abietinus
- Pennell: Scrophulariaceae of the central Rocky Mountain states
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.