Penstemon /ˈpɛnstᵻmən/, the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 species North American and East Asian flowering plants. Formerly placed in the Scrophulariaceae family by the Cronquist system, new genetic research has placed it in the vastly expanded Plantaginaceae family. Most penstemons are deciduous or semi-evergreen perennials, the remainder being shrubs or subshrubs. Heights can range from 10 cm to as much as 3 metres.