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Herbaceous Perennial

Penstemon 'Strawberries and Cream' (Ice Cream Series)

penstemon 'Strawberries and Cream'

'Strawberries and Cream' (Ice Cream Series) is a semi-evergreen perennial to 60cm tall with slender dark green leaves and from summer to autumn pale pink tubular flowershave fine red stripes and a red throat are borne over a long period

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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: 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-hardwood cuttings in midsummer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Gravel garden
Wildlife gardens
City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead after flowering to maintain vigour and prolong flowering then cut back to 15cm in late winter or early spring

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs, snails, aphids and leaf and bud eelworms

Diseases

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

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