Penstemon heterophyllus 'Heavenly Blue'
beard tongue
- 9cm pot
- £8.99
- available to order from late spring
Delivery options
- Standard £5.99
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: July to October
- Hardiness: frost hardy (will need winter protection in cold areas)
Forming a low, spreading clump, Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Heavenly Blue’ produces slender upright stems packed with tubular, foxglove-like blooms that open with gently flared mouths in shades of mauve, lilac and cool violet-blue. Each flower sits neatly along the stems, creating long airy spires that keep coming from late spring right through summer and often well into autumn.
This semi-evergreen perennial carries narrow, slightly glaucous leaves that form an attractive base even when the plant isn’t flowering. The blooms are magnets for bumblebees and other pollinators, making it a brilliant choice for wildlife-friendly planting as well as informal borders, gravel gardens or sunny patio beds.
This semi-evergreen perennial carries narrow, slightly glaucous leaves that form an attractive base even when the plant isn’t flowering. The blooms are magnets for bumblebees and other pollinators, making it a brilliant choice for wildlife-friendly planting as well as informal borders, gravel gardens or sunny patio beds.
Plant penstemons in well-drained soil in a sunny or lightly shaded position, incorporating compost or well-rotted manure to improve fertility. Water regularly until established, then reduce watering, as they prefer drier conditions once settled.
Deadhead faded blooms frequently to extend the flowering season. In autumn, leave the top growth in place to provide winter protection, then cut back in spring when new shoots emerge lower down the stems.
Apply a dry mulch, such as bark or composted straw, around the base in colder regions to insulate the roots from frost. Every few years, lift and divide congested clumps in spring to maintain vigour and encourage fresh growth.
Deadhead faded blooms frequently to extend the flowering season. In autumn, leave the top growth in place to provide winter protection, then cut back in spring when new shoots emerge lower down the stems.
Apply a dry mulch, such as bark or composted straw, around the base in colder regions to insulate the roots from frost. Every few years, lift and divide congested clumps in spring to maintain vigour and encourage fresh growth.