Penstemon ‘Port Wine’

Penstemon 'Port Wine' (Penstemon 'Port Wine') is a hardy perennial that throws up spires of deep red to purple tubular flowers from spring right through to autumn. It makes a tidy clump about 80cm tall and 60cm wide, so it holds the middle of a border without staking or spreading. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and heat tolerant, it is one of the few long flowering perennials that asks almost nothing in return.

Why you'll love it

• Months of flowers, not weeks. Successive spires of wine coloured blooms carry from spring into autumn if you keep cutting the spent stems.
• Tough at both ends of the year. Frost hardy through cold southern winters and heat tolerant through dry inland summers, which is an unusual combination in a perennial.
• Honeyeaters and bees find it fast. The tubular flowers suit small nectar feeding birds, and bees and butterflies work the spires all season.
• Neat, self supporting habit. At 80cm by 60cm the clump stands up on its own, so there are no stakes and no mid summer collapse.

Where it works best

Borders and mass planting. Plant 50cm apart for a continuous band of colour. At that spacing clumps touch by the second season while air still moves between them, which keeps the foliage clean.

Pots and small gardens. One plant fills a 300mm pot and flowers for months on a sunny balcony. In a courtyard, group three in a triangle rather than lining them up.

Growing Penstemon 'Port Wine' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for at least six hours gives the heaviest flowering; in part shade the stems stretch and lean. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and being frost hardy it comes through southern and tableland winters, dying back and reshooting in spring.

Soil. Free draining soil is the one non negotiable. Penstemons rot in wet winter ground, so on clay raise the bed 150mm or add coarse grit. Fertility can be modest.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Too much water and fertiliser gives soft growth and fewer flowers, so a single spring application of a balanced slow release fertiliser is enough.

Pruning. Cut spent flower stems back to a leafy joint to trigger the next flush. In late winter shear the whole clump back by about a third to keep the base furnished and stop it going woody.

What to expect when it arrives

Penstemon 'Port Wine' is grown as tube stock. These are young rooted plants, not flowering specimens, which is what makes it realistic to plant a whole border in one go. Most will flower in their first season after planting and reach full size in the second.

Soft growth may look tired after transit and recovers within a week or two in a bright, sheltered spot. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Ideas for planting a low growing border
• Perennials for a cottage garden
• Plants that attract bees and butterflies
• Browse the wider flowering plant range

Common questions

How many plants do I need for a border?

Space them 50cm apart, which is two plants per metre in a single row. A three metre border reads best with six to eight plants in a staggered double row.

How long does it live?

Penstemons are relatively short lived perennials, usually three to five good years. Cutting the clump back each winter extends that, and stem cuttings taken in autumn give you free replacements.

Will it handle frost?

Yes. It is frost hardy and will die back in a cold winter, then reshoot from the base in spring. Leave the old stems in place over winter as protection and cut them off once new growth appears.