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Herbaceous Perennial

Penstemon heterophyllus 'Heavenly Blue'

penstemon 'Heavenly Blue'

a spreading, woody-based, semi-evergreen perennial to 50cm tall, with narrow, dull, bluish-green leaves. The pinkish-blue flowers, tubular with an open, lobed mouth are about 3cm long and produced in long spikes in summer and autumn

Synonyms

Penstemon 'Heavenly Blue'

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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

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

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 moderately fertile, sharply-drained soil in full sun in a sheltered situation. May need a dry winter mulch in frost prone areas. Will tolerate some shade, but flowers less well. See penstemon cultivation

Propagation

Divide in spring, or take softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings in midsummer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

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

Pruning

Deadhead regularly, or after flowering shorten flowered stems by half, 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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