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Herbaceous Perennial

Penstemon Rock Candy Blue ('Novapenblu'^PBR) (Rock Candy Series)

penstemon [Rock Candy Blue]

A compact, upright perennial with lance-shaped green foliage and smallish, long-lasting flared, tubular blue-purple flowers with a white throat which appear from late spring through to the autumn

Synonyms

Penstemon 'Novapenblu'^PBR

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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

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 GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming, Columnar upright
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: Trade

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. Propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Patio and container plants
Wildlife gardens
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds
Conservatory and greenhouse

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

Generally disease-free but may be susceptible to powdery mildews and grey moulds

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