Penstemon heterophyllus 'Catherine de la Mare'
penstemon 'Catherine de la Mare'
'Catherine de la Mare' is a spreading, woody-based, semi-evergreen perennial to 50cm tall, with dull, bluish-green leaves and dense racemes of purplish-blue flowers 3cm long, borne on reddish stems in summer
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Blue Purple | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter | Green |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H4Botanical details
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Native to the UK
- 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 moderately fertile sharply-drained soil in full sun in a sheltered situation. May need a dry winter mulch in frost prone areas
Propagation
Take softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings in midsummer. Divide in spring or propagate by seed in late winter or spring; cultivars will not come true from seed
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Rock garden
- City and courtyard gardens
- Coastal
- Cottage and informal garden
- Gravel garden
- Wall side borders
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Best habit is encouraged by cutting back each year. 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 affected by grey mould, powdery mildew and fungal leaf spot
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.