Penstemon 'Catherine de la Mare'

061-207 Penstemon 'Catherine de la Mare'
Joy Creek Photo Archive (c) all rights reserved	In the Gardener's Guide to Growing Penstemon, David Way recounts the back story of Penstemon 'Catherine de la Mare' which was found in the garden of Richard de la Mare (son of the poet Walter de la Mare) in Hertfordshire, England, in the 1950's. It was named for Richard's wife. Originally it was thought to be a seedling of Penstemon heterophyllus, but it is obviously a cross between two species. It is much larger in habit and leaf size than P. heterophyllus. Also, the leaves are serrated along their edges and those of P. hetrophyllus are not. The flowers, however, are similar to those of P. heterophyllus showing the rich blue of the lobed mouth grading in color to magenta in the tube. With some supplemental water and light dead-heading, this will repeat bloom later in the summer. Give it well draining soil and a nice sunny hot spot to make it happy. Spring, early summer. 1.5 ft. x 1.5 ft. Blue and Magenta flowers *Sun Zones 7, 8, 9, 10*