Penstemon heterophyllus 'Blue Spring'

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penstemon 'Blue Spring'

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penstemon 'Blue Spring' RHS
penstemon 'Blue Spring' RHS

Synonyms

Penstemon 'Blue Spring' misapplied

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Herbaceous Perennial
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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

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
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)
H4

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Plantaginaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
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

Take softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings in midsummer or propagate by division

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Coastal
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Rock garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Prune 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

Pests

Maybe susceptible to slugs, snails, aphids and leaf and bud eelworm

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds, powdery mildews and fungal leaf spot