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Native Plant Society of Texas

Cupleaf Penstemon

Penstemon murrayanus

Other common name(s):

Scarlet Penstemon, Scarlet Beardtongue, Red Penstemon, Red Beardtongue, Cupleaf Beardtongue

Family:

Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie
Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

0.25
to
0.5
ft.

Spread

1
to
1.5
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Dry, Loam, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland Edge

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Red

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Maintenance

Low maintenance needs. Can handle a variety of well-drained soils. Native habitat: woodlands’ edge, prairie, meadows, pastures.

Description

Blooms March-June. A showy plant with reddish stems and cupped, blue-green leaves. The scarlet tubular flowers bloom along a stalk up to a foot long. The fruit is a capsule.

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Getting the seed to germinate is a challenge. Sow the seed at the start of winter to allow them to naturally stratify. They flower the second year after their attractive glaucous green foliage bulks up for the first growing season. Collected seed after the seed capsules dried. Bag seedheads to capture ripening seed Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds 1) https://meristemhorticulture.com/planted/scarlet-penstemon#:~:text=These%20plants%20I%20found%20provided,and%20not%20impede%20the%20view.
Seed Scarification, Stratification Stratifying seed for three months increased germination to 20%. Seeds that had smoke water and three months of stratification had 46% germination! Use of gibberellic acid and liquid smoke to improve seed germination of native perennial seed. Gibberellic acid is a plant hormone that promotes germination. Liquid smoke can contain karrakins, another germination promoting hormone. There’s research that demonstrates after a fire passes through an ecosystem that karrakins are produced and help increase germination of some plant species. While gibberellic acid can be a bit of a challenge for home owners to acquire, smoke water is readily available from grocery stores. Collected seed after the seed capsules dried. Bag seedheads to capture ripening seed Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds 1) https://meristemhorticulture.com/planted/scarlet-penstemon#:~:text=These%20plants%20I%20found%20provided,and%20not%20impede%20the%20view. 2) https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/138793

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason