Penstemon Westminster Belle

Belonging to the particularly hardy and vigorous Pensham Series, Penstemon 'Westminster Belle' bears upright spikes of many tubular, purple flowers with white throats. Like all members of the Worcestershire-bred series it remains in flower for an impressive six months of the year, much to the delight of visiting bees and butterflies. There can be few plants as undemanding and generous as the penstemon. This easy, adaptable, semi-evergreen will thrive almost anywhere, and mixes easily with a huge range of plants. We love seeing 'Westminster Belle' woven through a naturalistic scheme with plants such as silene, eryngium, euphorbia, stipa and miscanthus. An equally good home for it is a brightly coloured cottage garden scheme, with fellow old favourites such as roses, campanula, delphinium, and phlox. For best results grow in any fertile, well-draining soil in full sun or partial shade. 'Westminster Belle' is hardy to between -5 and -10 C, meaning winter protection can be a good idea in colder areas. This is best achieved with a dry mulch and leaving dead stems intact until spring for added insulation. H: 75cm S: 50cm.