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Penstemon 'Elmley'
beard tongue
Flowering freely through the warmer months, this hardy perennial suits cottage gardens, wildlife-friendly spaces and informal borders, attracting bees while...
9cm pot
available to order from summer
3 × 9cm pots
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Plant description
Flowering freely through the warmer months, this hardy perennial suits cottage gardens, wildlife-friendly spaces and informal borders, attracting bees while being easy to grow and reliable. Plant in a sunny, well-drained spot and enjoy repeated waves of purplish-pink, tubular flowers; once established, Penstemon 'Elmley' forms a neat clump that sits mid-border or drifts slightly through neighbouring plants.
Regular deadheading keeps blooms coming, and a light spring prune maintains a tidy, bushy shape, making it a fuss-free choice for colour and charm in any garden.
Regular deadheading keeps blooms coming, and a light spring prune maintains a tidy, bushy shape, making it a fuss-free choice for colour and charm in any garden.
Eventual height & spread
Flowering period
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Plant features
Position
Full sun / light shade
Rate of growth
Average
Soil
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness
Borderline hardy (will need protection in winter in colder areas)
How to care for Penstemon Elmley:
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.
Please note:
This perennial is semi-evergreen so it can lose some of its leaves in winter. In colder regions or more exposed gardens, it may lose them all, but then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
