Penstemon Blackbird

In stock

Only 80 left

$5.25

Penstemons are beautiful plants for cottage gardens, fast growing, easy to maintain, coming back year after year with big flowers and a long season of colour from summer to autumn. They love light soils, and will survive all but the coldest Aussie winters.

Penstemon Blackbird flowers in rich plum purple; the foliage is slender and looks good planted with ornamental grasses. Pollinators and honeyaters love the flowers too! Dream Gardens TV gardener Michael McCoy says it's the only variety he'll use.

Flower images: KM cropped to size.

Skip to the end of the images gallery

Skip to the beginning of the images gallery

Description

Penstemon 'Blackbird'

APPEARANCE : North American herbaceous perennial, upright and bushy, with slender leaves and tall stems of large tubular plum-purple flowers, appearing in summer into autumn. They will keep their leaves in mild climates and lose them over winter in colder ones.
USE FOR: Cottage gardens, wildlife gardens to attract pollinators, large pots, for colour in mixed beds.
CLIMATE : Frost tolerant; in very cold regions grow in sheltered spots or against a wall
PLANTING: Plant in a sunny to part shaded position, in light free-draining loam, sandy or chalky soil. Mulch and water regularly until the plant is established, usually around 12 weeks.
CARE: Deadhead after flowering to encourage a second flush of flowers; chop back to low-growing shoots in mid-spring as these plants flower on new growth. Fertilise afterwards using a slow release fertiliser, give an extra boost during the summer heat using eco-seaweed and regular watering.
HEIGHT & WIDTH: 80cm H to 120cm in flower x 40-80cm W.
YOUR PLANTS : These are tubestock plants, healthy young plants with new roots that will establish quickly in your garden. The pot size is 80mm high and 42 mm wide.
You can see an example in the image gallery.
What is tubestock?

Availability