Penstemon is a large genus of North American (and east Asian) plants of the Scrophulariaceae family, with opposing leaves, two-lipped flowers and seed capsules. It is also called beardtongue.

Nowadays the one Asiatic species is considered a separate genus. This leaves Penstemon a mostly Nearctic genus, with a few Neotropical specimens. Penstemons are ideal for xeriscape™ landscaping.