Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants
Herbaceous Perennial

Penstemon 'Pensham Charlotte Louise' (Pensham Series)
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

penstemon 'Pensham Charlotte Louise'

'Pensham Charlotte Louise' is a herbaceous perennial 75cm high with semi-evergreen leaves and many flowers which are deep pink-red, the throats striped with pale pink and white and edged in darker pink, from midsummer to early autumn

Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Pink White Green
Autumn Pink White Green
Winter Green
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

West–facing or East–facing or South–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H4
Botanical details
Family
Plantaginaceae
Native to the UK
No
Foliage
Semi evergreen
Habit
Clump forming
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

Name status

Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or light shade in a position sheltered from frosts and drying winds; in autumn, cut plants down by two-thirds of their height and protect with a dry mulch; for more advice, see penstemon cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings in midsummer, by division in spring, or by layering

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

Deadhead to encourage a longer flowering season; in autumn, cut plants down to about a third of their height to prevent windrock but leave some protection from frosts; in late spring or early summer after new growth appears and after frosts are over, cut out old stems

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails, and by chrysanthemum eelworm

Diseases

Generally disease-free but may be affected by powdery mildews and grey moulds

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.