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Herbaceous Perennial

Penstemon campanulatus

bellflower beardtongue

An upright, clump-forming, semi-evergreen perennial to 60cm, with wiry stems and dark green, toothed, lance-shaped leaves. Loose sprays of bell-shaped flowers up to 3cm long appear in early summer and are usually mid- to light purple with varying amounts of white, though red forms also occur

Synonyms

Penstemon pulchellus Lindl.
Penstemon campanulatus pulchellus

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Chalk

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

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: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow 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

Propagation

Propagate by seed, or by softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings in midsummer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Regular deadheading can encourage a longer flowering season. In autumn, cut back to by about a third to tidy and reduce windrock, but leave enough to protect the crown over winter. In mid- to late spring cut back to lowest new shoots

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and chrysanthemum eelworm

Diseases

May be susceptible to Powdery mildews

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