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Herbaceous Perennial

Penstemon 'Pensham Plum Dandy' (Pensham Series)

penstemon 'Pensham Plum Dandy'

'Pensham Plum Dandy' is a semi-evergreen perennial to around 100cm high with lance-shaped leaves and, from summer into autumn, upright racemes of dark red flowers, the throats streaked with white

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing or South–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 GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Semi evergreen
Habit: Bushy
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: Accepted

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 softwood or semi-ripe cuttings in early summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Gravel garden
Patio and container plants
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

Deadhead after flowering to maintain vigour. 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

Generally pest-free, though may be susceptible to slugs, snails and chrysanthemum eelworms

Diseases

May be susceptible to downy mildews

Get involved

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Penstemon 'Pensham Plum Dandy' (Pensham Series)

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