Penstemon 'Alice Hindley'
beard tongue (syn. Penstemon John Nash)
Penstemon 'Alice Hindley' bears soft lilac flower spires that bring easy colour and height to borders for months on end, creating a relaxed, cottage-garden feel that blends effortlessly with surrounding planting. Slender upright stems carry generous clusters of gently flared, bell-shaped blooms in pale mauve tones, each flower lightly flushed with pink and opening to a soft white throat that stands out against the fresh green foliage.
Flowering from late spring right through summer and often into autumn, the display just keeps coming, making it a brilliant choice for filling that long mid-season gap. The narrow leaves form a bushy, semi-evergreen clump that stays neat through winter, while the airy stems rise above to mingle easily with grasses, salvias and other sunny border favourites.
Bees and other pollinators are quick to visit the open tubular flowers, so it’s a great addition to wildlife-friendly gardens, informal borders or large patio containers.
Flowering from late spring right through summer and often into autumn, the display just keeps coming, making it a brilliant choice for filling that long mid-season gap. The narrow leaves form a bushy, semi-evergreen clump that stays neat through winter, while the airy stems rise above to mingle easily with grasses, salvias and other sunny border favourites.
Bees and other pollinators are quick to visit the open tubular flowers, so it’s a great addition to wildlife-friendly gardens, informal borders or large patio containers.
How to care for Penstemon Alice Hindley:
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.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
1m
Eventual spread:
0.6m
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)
-
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.
9cm pot
£8.99
available to order from late spring
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3 × 9cm pots
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£6.66 each
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6 × 9cm pots
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£5.67 each
available to order from late spring
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