Penstemon'Garnet'
Garden Plant Information

Penstemon 'Garnet'

 

Name

Penstemon ‘Garnet’ (aka P. ‘Andenken an Friedrich Hahn’)

Genus  

Penstemon

Species

 

Cultivar/variety

‘Garnet’ (aka P. ‘Andenken an Friedrich Hahn’)

General description

Bushy semi-evergreen perennial with many deep wine-red flowers from early summer to late autumn. Attractive to bees and hoverflies.

Season of interest

Flowers from early summer to late autumn.

Key horticultural features

  1.  Habit – bushy, upright to slightly lax. H: 1m S: up to 1.5m

  2. Stems – round, smooth, slender, red-tinged, straight or slightly lax.

  3. Leaves – dark green, narrow, pointed, smooth.

  4. Flowers - erect racemes of tubular bell-shaped, deep wine-red flowers with white markings in the throat, 3cm long.

Cultural details

Aspect

Full sun to partial shade.

Soil

Fertile, well drained.

Hardiness

Borderline fully hardy (may depend on winter drainage as the plant dislikes soggy ground in winter).

Maintenance

Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering. After flowering has finished, cut back and mulch with compost. In colder areas leave stems to protect the plant over winter and cut back in early spring.

 

May be susceptible to Chrysanthemum Eelworm, often confused with die-back as the leaves and stems turn brown and die. No chemicals are available to the home gardener, so remove and destroy affected plants.

Propagation

 

Roots easily. Take cuttings from non-flowering stem tips in late summer and over winter for planting out the following year.