Hairy Beardtongue

Penstemon hirsutus

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Elaphria chalcedonia, Junonia coenia, Haploa confusa, Pyrrhia cilisca, Euphydryas phaeton, Pyrrhia exprimens, Amphipyra tragopoginis
S13+S15 7 verified Eastern NA
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Osmia distincta
S17 Osmia (Melanosmia) distincta specialist on Penstemon; S68 confirmed visiting P. hirsutus
❄️ Winter Food Source: Seeds of Penstemon are consumed by Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). Dry capsules persist on stems into winter, providing a modest seed resource for ground-foraging gallinaceous birds.
S57 genus-level avian diet records for 2 Phasianidae species

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) and nationally ranked N4 in Canada. Apparently Secure in Ontario (S4) but Imperiled in Quebec (S2), where it reaches the northeastern edge of its range. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Quebec populations are concentrated in the Outaouais region on calcareous substrates along the Ottawa River corridor.
S22 G5, N4, S4 ON, S2 QC; S26 not SARA listed; S54 QC specimens from Outaouais calcareous sites
Rarity Ranks: QC S2 – Imperiled, ON S4 – Apparently Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Inhabits dry, open habitats including rocky fields, limestone alvars, bluffs, oak savannas, and prairie remnants. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region, specimens are recorded from gravel hillsides, alvar on Beekmantown dolomite, and the Eardley Escarpment. Favours thin, well-drained soils over calcareous bedrock. A characteristic species of dry open woodlands and successional meadows in the mixed-wood zone.
S4 dry woods, rocky fields, bluffs; S7 prairies, oak savanna, sandy barrens; S48 alvar on dolomie, gravel hillside; S54 Eardley Escarpment specimen

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: No documented edible uses. Moerman's Native American Ethnobotany Database lists no food applications for this species, and PFAF records no edibility rating.
S28 no uses; S29 no edible data