Question
In a Massachusetts garden there is a perennial plant.  It is 1-2 ft. high, alternate-leaved, hairy on stems and less so on leaves.  Stems have noticeable red freckles.  Its leaves are simple, long (about 2-3 in.), pointed, not toothed, with one prominent central vein.  Its flowers are found in the leaf axils and are of complex form, somewhat like a penstemon.  Most striking is that the flowers come in blue and pink, with the pink appearing to increase with age. The flower nearest the leaf axil blooms first, and then fades in favor of the next one outward in a rather hairy tonguelike arrangement, so that the leaf axils appear to branch as flowering progresses.

No local nurseryman or garden club member can identify this for me.  When in bloom, it is extremely attractive, appearing like a small shrub with bright blue and pink flowers all along each stem, with the blue more prominent. Closer examination shows five anthers, quite prominent, each one blue tipped with pink.  Neither leaves nor flowers are fragrant.  I have not seen the fruit.  Bloom time is from late June into July in Mass.  Though no expert, I am an experienced New England gardener, and I can absolutely assure you this plant is NOT a mertensia (Virginia cowslip) and NOT a pulmonaria (lungwort).  It is also not found in common catalogues such as Wayside or White Flower Farm.  If it is a native wildflower, it is not one common in Eastern Woodlands or fields.  I have been chasing this critter for 3 years with no result.  Help, help!

Answer
A picture is worth a thousand words!  Could you obtain a picture and e-mail it to me at [email protected]?

I would start by looking at Scrophulariae (Penstemon, although those tend to have opposite leaves, Pedicularis. Mimulus et al.).  Other things that come to mind do not meet the description "extremely attractive".