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Herbaceous Perennial

Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita Bop'

penstemon 'Margarita Bop'

An evergreen perennial to 60cm tall with narrow bluish-green glossy leaves and masses of tubular flowers in long spikes, yellow-tinged in bud then opening to violet-blue flowers becoming reddish-purple with age

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–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: 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: Unresolved

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 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
Prairie planting
Coastal
Gravel garden
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Deadhead after flowering to encourage further flowering. Cut back to about 15cm in spring, after frost as passed, to maintain a compact shape

Pests

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

Diseases

May be affected by grey moulds, powdery mildews and fungal leaf spot

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