Penstemon (also called beardtongues) is a genus of flowering plants that grows primarily in North America. The flowers in this genus have two lips and a large infertile fifth stamen. The genus contains some 250 species of plants. Due the large number of species growing in similar climates, I am extremely hesitant to guess the full species name for the pictures I take.
Penstemons are extremely common in the Mountain West (Utah), growing in both the desert and high mountains. Penstemon are a periennial that do well in gardens in Utah and Colorado.
Penstemon used to be placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. They are now placed in the Plantaginaceae family. For the moment, I will have them broken out into their own genus gallery.