Beard Tongue

Penstemon Southgate Gem

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: July to October
• Hardiness: fully hardy (borderline)
  
  Elegant spikes of small, tubular, foxglove-like flowers appear from July to October among lance-shaped, bright green leaves. This easy-to-grow perennial will quickly form large, leafy clumps and is perfect for adding a splash of colour to the middle of a sunny, well-drained border. If you deadhead regularly, the flowers will persist until the first frosts. This variety is particularly free flowering, and produces lilac flowers with a metallic sheen, often flushed with red. Each one has a white throat, striped with burgundy.
  
  
• Garden care: Remove the faded blooms regularly to prolong flowering. Cut back and compost the spent flower stems in autumn and apply a dry mulch around the crown of the plant to protect against frost damage. Lift and divide congested clumps in spring.

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