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Today's What is this plant

6 replies

TarragonSauce · 12/06/2019 08:43

And when should I cut it back? After flowering?
And can I take it back to old wood as it's rather leggy lower down?
I thought I knew what it was but know it all dsis says I'm wrong (and she's probably right, she usually is Grin)

Today's What is this plant
OP posts:
Ohyesiam · 12/06/2019 08:46

It’s a penstemon.
Leave cutting it back till April next year, or the frost can kill them off over winter.

aircooled · 12/06/2019 10:22

I think it's Phygelius (probably New Sensation). Base can get woody so as previous poster says cut it back in spring to about 6 inches. Does it spread? The orangey one can be a nuisance.

TarragonSauce · 12/06/2019 10:43

Yes! I think it's a penstemon, that certainly rings bells.
I planted this garden up myself a few years back and tried very hard to keep the plant info cards next to everything, but a freak windstorm put paid to that and now I can't trust that the card next to a plant is the correct one. Gardening here is like a giant game of cards.
Ta very much.

OP posts:
NanTheWiser · 12/06/2019 10:46

I think it's Phygelius too.

NotMaryWhitehouse · 12/06/2019 12:46

I third phygelius- the leaves are not those of a penstemon.

TarragonSauce · 12/06/2019 15:11

Ok I'll bow to the majority. (But there's def at least one penstemon here somewhere...)
I'm going to print out a 2020 calendar and mark for cutting back in late spring. I have two of them, each under a front window and they're quite striking at the moment, each about 75cm tall, so hope I don't ruin them by taking back into old wood, but they are looking a little straggly.

It's like a never ending guessing game, and there's a third of an acre of it.

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