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Herbaceous Perennial

Penstemon 'Papal Purple'

penstemon 'Papal Purple'

'Papal Purple' is a low-growing, herbaceous perennial to around 50cm high with semi-evergreen, lance-shaped leaves and, from summer into early autumn, purple bell-shaped flowers with white throats

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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

South–facing or West–facing or East–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 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 fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or light shade in a position sheltered from frosts and drying winds; in autumn protect with a dry mulch; for more advice, see penstemon cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings in midsummer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

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

Pruning

Deadhead to encourage a longer flowering season; in autumn, cut plants down to about a third of their height to prevent windrock but leave some protection from frosts; in late spring or early summer after new growth appears and after frosts are over, cut out old stems

Pests

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

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and grey moulds but generally disease-free

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