About
An evergreen, woody-basedperennial to 45cm tall with narrow, bluish-green, glossy leaves. In summer, it produces dense flower spikes bearing sky-blue funnel-shaped flowers with purple-tinged throats.
About the genus
Penstemon may be deciduous or evergreen perennials or subshrubs, with simple, narrow leaves and racemes or panicles of bell-shaped or funnel-shaped flowers in summer and early autumn
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH4
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitBushy
FoliageEvergreen
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCoastal, City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Rock garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
CultivationGrow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. In cold areas, protect plant overwinter with a dry winter mulch. See penstemon cultivation for further advice
PruningPrune any winter-damaged stems back hard to encourage fresh new growth from the base. After flowering, shorten flowered stems by half (unless seed is required) to encourage further flowering
PropagationTake softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings in midsummer or propagate by division
Pest resistanceMaybe susceptible to slugs, snails, aphids and leaf and bud eelworm
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to grey moulds, powdery mildews and fungal leaf spot