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Herbaceous Perennial

Penstemon 'Drinkstone Red'

penstemon 'Drinkstone Red'

Forms a dense, bushy plant to around 80cm tall. Deep red-pink flowers are borne from summer into autumn on upright spikes

Synonyms

Penstemon 'Drinkstone'
Penstemon 'Drinkwater Red'

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Loam

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 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 cuttings in spring or semi-hardwood cuttings in midsummer or by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Cut flowers
Wall side borders
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead regularly, or after flowering, cut back flowered stems by a half to encourage further flowering. In spring after the danger of frost has passed, cut back to just above new shoots or to the lowest healthy leaves

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs, snails and eelworms

Diseases

May be affected by powdery mildews

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