Penstemon 'Firebird'  
 
A-Z of plants
Opening times
Special events
How to get here
Contact us
Home
Click on the A - Z list to go to other pages of our plant list
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | WXYZ

Key for symbols

new in 2008
new in 2008
grass
grass
shade
shade
liked by bees
liked by bees
likes boggy areas
likes boggy areas
semi-shade
semi-shade
ready in July
ready in July
likes troughs
likes troughs
happy anywhere
happy anywhere
bulb
bulb
sun
sun
 
 

 

P

 

Plant list for this page Click on a genus to go straight to that position on the page
paeonia polemonium
PANICUM POLYGALA
papaver polygonatum
parahebe POLYSTICHUM
pennisetum potentilla
penstemon primula
perovskia pterocephalus
phlox pulmonaria
platycodon pulsatilla

 
 

PAEONIA

Paeonia delavayi delavayi lutea DELAVAYI var. delavayi lutea
An upright, deciduous shrub with deeply cut dark green leaves, produces single, cup-shaped, yellow flowers in early summer. 2.2 m
sunsemi-shade
 
 

PANICUM

PANICUM VIRGATUM ‘CLOUD NINE’ VIRGATUM ‘CLOUD NINE’
Strong growing, upright blue-green grass which flowers in late summer. Seems slow to clump up. Prefers well-drained soil. 1.8 m
new in 2008
grasssun
 
 

PAPAVER

  ORIENTALE VARIETIES A must for the herbaceous border. Make sure you decide where you want it, before you plant–it propagates by root cuttings. Each individual flower is not very long lasting but they are very showy and produce a succession during the early summer. They do like a sunny situation and even do well in our heavy clay soil. After flowering the plant goes dormant so we inter-plant with annual Cosmos which seems to be very effective.
 
 
   
Papaver 	orientale	'Allegro' ORIENTALE ‘ALLEGRO’
Bright orange-scarlet flowers in midsummer, with bold black central blotches. 60 cm
sun
 
   
Papaver	orentale	'Beauty of Livermere' orientale (goliath group)
'beauty of livermere'

Large blood red flowers, with dark central blotches to the petals, in midsummer. Sells on sight once our display plant blooms on nursery, as very upstanding, a 'sock it in the eye' type of flower. 90 cm
sun
 
   
ORIENTALE ‘MRS PERRY’
Pale pink flowers with black central blotches. 75 cm
sun
 
   
Papaver orientale 'Pizzicato' ORIENTALE ‘PIZZICATO’
Very similar to P. orientale ‘Raspberry Queen’ though slightly smaller flowers and slightly less flamboyant. 1 m
sun
 
   
Papaver orientale 'Raspberry Queen' ORIENTALE ‘RASPBERRY QUEEN’
Shocking pink, with thick black markings in the centre. A very striking oriental poppy, not easily missed! 1 m
sun
 
   
Papaver	orentale	'Beauty of Livermere' PILOSUM ssp. SPICATUM
Grey-green, slightly hairy leaves, with spikes of pretty crinkled apricot flowers on erect stems, from late spring to early summer. Goes dormant for some weeks in summer. 50 cm
sun
 
 

PARAHEBE

PERFOLIATA
Rather unusual-looking plant with broad glaucous leaves similar to a Eucalyptus. Makes a low mound. Terminal spikes of blue flowers in late summer. 30 cm
sun
 
 

PENNISETUM

Pennisetum alopecuroides ALOPECUROIDES ‘HAMELN’
Brown hairy caterpillar flowers in August and September. 50 cm
grasssun
 
 

PENSTEMON

  The larger Penstemons can be treated like a hardy fuchsia and cut to 15 cm above the ground in April (they will then provide a long display of flowers from mid to late summer). As a general guide, the narrower leaved Penstemons are the hardiest. The smaller ones just need a light trim in the autumn after flowering to help keep their shape, and very well-drained soil.
 
 
   
Penstemon  digitalis 'Husker's Red' digitalis 'husker red'
Another plant that we cannot grow enough of. Maroon tinted foliage forms a basal rosette, with stems of palest lilac-blue flowers in midsummer. 1 m
sun
 
   
FIREBIRD’ (syn. P. ‘SCHOENHOLZERI’)
Largish pinky crimson tubular flowers, with white in the throat, for months from July. Must be one of the hardiest Penstemons. 75 cm
sun
 
   
Penstemon 'Garnet' ‘GARNET’
(syn. P. ‘ANDENKEN AN FRIEDRICH HAHN’)
I’ll stick with the English name although the German one would make a good tongue twister. Garnet red flowers in summer. Very hardy. 75 cm
sun
 
   
Penstemon glaber GLABER
A smaller Penstemon with lilac-blue flowers and pinky buds in early summer. Very hardy. 45 cm
sun
 
   
Penstemon heterophyllus HETEROPHYLLUS
Lilac-blue tubular flowers for weeks in summer. Seems very hardy. 60 cm
sun
 
   
PENSTEMON HETEROPHYLLUS ‘JEANETTE’ HETEROPHYLLUS ‘JEANETTE’
Tubular white flowers for weeks in summer. Seems very hardy. 60 cm
new in 2008
sun
 
   
‘HIDCOTE PINK’
Pink tubular flowers. 60 cm
sun
 
   
PENSTEMON HIRSUTUS VAR. PYGMAEUS HIRSUTUS var. PYGMAEUS
A mound of purple tinted foliage, with lilac-mauve flowers and a white throat, in midsummer. Prefers well drained soil. 10 cm
new in 2008
likes troughssunhappy anywhere
 
   
penstemon 'papal purple' ‘PAPAL PURPLE’
Almost glistening purple flowers, with a subdued white throat, during summer. 45 cm
sun
 
   
Penstemon pinifolius PINIFOLIUS
A dwarf shrub of pinnate leaves with tubular orangey-red flowers from early summer onwards. 25 cm
likes troughssun
 
   
Penstemon pinifolius	'Mersea Yellow' PINIFOLIUS ‘MERSEA YELLOW’
Lemon-yellow flowered form of the above. 25 cm
likes troughssun
 
   
Penstemon 'Port Wine' 'PORT WINE'
Tubular maroon flowers, with paler insides, for weeks, from midsummer. Hardy in most gardens, but seems more susceptible to eelworm than some. 75 cm
sun
 
   
Penstemon Procerus'Roy Davidson' PROCERUS ‘ROY DAVIDSON’
Low mat of dark foliage. Heads of dark pink buds opening to paler pink flowers in summer. Hardy. 10 cm
likes troughssun
 
   
PENSTEMON ‘SOUR GRAPES’ ‘SOUR GRAPES’
Large tubular-shaped, pretty greyish blue flowers, suffused purple and green, from midsummer. 60 cm
new in 2008
sun
 
   
Penstemon 'White Bedder' ‘WHITE BEDDER’ (syn. P. ‘SNOW STORM’)
White flowers, flushed pink in bud. Seems pretty hardy. 60 cm
sun
 
 

PEROVSKIA

liked by bees

Perovskia Atriplicifolia ATRIPLICIFOLIA
Grey felty leaves grow up the white coated stems. Many branching terminal spikes of blue flowers that sort of glisten as they are coated in fine hairs, in late summer. Likes well-drained soil. 1 m
sun
 
 

PHLOX

  All the phlox we grow apart from Phlox carolina 'Bill Baker' are good for the rockery. They form low, often trailing mounds of needle-like leaves, covered in flowers in early spring. They do not seem to thrive in too dry a situation and the Phlox bifida types do well in partial shade. If cut back slightly after flowering it keeps them from getting too woody.
 
 
   
Phlox bifida 'Petticoat' BIFIDA ‘PETTICOAT’
Pink flowers with darker markings, in spring. 10 cm
sunsemi-shade
 
   
PHLOX BIFIDA ‘RALPH HAYWOOD’ BIFIDA ‘RALPH HAYWOOD’
A low mound of pale blue flowers in early spring, prefers slightly more neutral soils. 10 cm
new in 2008
sun
 
   
Phlox carolina 'Bill Baker' CAROLINA 'BILL BAKER'
Deep pink flowers, on slightly lax stems, in early summer. Mildew resistant. 60 cm
sunsemi-shade
 
   
PHLOX DOUGLASII ‘CRACKERJACK’ DOUGLASII ‘CRACKERJACK’
A compact phlox, making a tight mound of dark green needle-like leaves with red flowers in spring. 5 cm
new in 2008
likes troughssun
 
   
Phlox subulata 'Jill Alexander' NIVALIS ‘JILL ALEXANDER’
Large rich pink flowers in spring. 7.5 cm
sun
 
   
Phlox subulata 'Alexander's Surprise' SUBULATA ‘ALEXANDER’S SURPRISE’
Pink flowers with darker centres, in spring. 7.5 cm
sun
 
   
Phlox subulata 'Lilacina' SUBULATA ‘LILACINA’
(syn. P. SUB. ‘G. F. WILSON’)

Flowers are pale, ice-blue, in spring. 7.5 cm
sun
 
   
Phlox subulata 'Maischnee' SUBULATA ‘MAISCHNEE’
(syn. P. SUB. ‘SNOW QUEEN’)

A mass of white flowers in spring. 7.5 cm
sun
 
   
Phlox subulata 'Purple Beauty' SUBULATA 'PURPLE BEAUTY'
Low growing mound covered in purple flowers in spring. 7.5 cm
sun
 
   
Phlox	subulata	'Scarlet Flame' SUBULATA ‘SCARLET FLAME’
Dark pink, almost red flowers in spring. 7.5 cm
sun
 
   
Phlox subulata 'Tamaongalei' SUBULATA ‘TAMAONGALEI’
White flowers with pink lines radiating out of each petal
during the spring. 7.5 cm
sun
 
 

PLATYCODON

Platycodon Grandiflorus GRANDIFLORUS
‘Balloon flower’. Grown from seed so flowers are various shades of blue. When in bud they look just like a hot air balloon; fun and showy. Flowers in July and August. Late to emerge in spring. 45 cm
ready in Julysun
 
   
PLATYCODON GRANDIFLORUS (APOYAMA GROUP) ‘FAIRY SNOW’ GRANDIFLORUS (APOYAMA GROUP) ‘FAIRY SNOW’
White flowered form. 45 cm
new in 2008
sun
 
   
  GRANDIFLORUS ‘FUJI PINK’
Pink flowered form. 45 cm
new in 2008
sun
 
 

POLEMONIUM

liked by bees

Polemonium reptans 'Blue Pearl' ‘BLUE PEARL’
A sprawling habit, with open blue flowers for months from spring. 25 cm
happy anywhere
 
   
Polemonium 'Lambrook Mauve' ‘LAMBROOK MAUVE’
Sprawling stems of lilac-mauve flowers on and off throughout summer. 45 cm
semi-shadeshade
 
   
Polemonium reptans 'Virginia White' REPTANS ‘VIRGINIA WHITE’
Seems a larger plant all round than P. reptans ‘Blue Pearl’, with slightly tinted stems and large white flowers, in early summer. 30 cm
happy anywhere
 
   
  YEZOENSE var. HIDAKANUM ‘PURPLE RAIN’
Large violet flowers in midsummer, on upright tinted stems, with dark purple foliage especially early in the season. The foliage colours better if grown in the sun, but grows well in sun or shade. Ours are grown from seed but we select the darkest leaved forms. 50 cm
new in 2008
happy anywhere
 
 

POLYGALA

POLYGALA CHAMAEBUXUS VAR. GRANDIFLORA CHAMAEBUXUS var. GRANDIFLORA
Milkwort. A small, evergreen alpine with dark green, leathery leaves and pretty deep purple and yellow flowers in May and June. Slowly spreading.12 cm
new in 2008
likes troughssun
 
 

POLYGONATUM

Polygonatum x hybridum X HYBRIDUM
‘Solomon’s Seal’. Hanging, cream flowers under arching stems in May. Valuable plant for shade. 80 cm
semi-shadeshade
 
 

POLYSTICHUM

SETIFERUM ‘PLUMOSOMULTILOBUM’ SETIFERUM ‘PLUMOSOMULTILOBUM’
(syn. P. SETIFERUM ‘PLUMOSUM DENSUM’)

Densely divided evergreen fronds. Happy in shade, even dry shade once it has its roots down. 40 cm
new in 2008
semi-shadeshade
 
   
POLYSTICHUM SETIFERUM ‘PULCHERRIMUM BEVIS’ SETIFERUM ‘PULCHERRIMUM BEVIS’
An evergreen fern with lacy arching fronds. 1 m
new in 2008
semi-shadeshade
 
 

POTENTILLA

  We only grow the herbaceous varieties – all have strawberry-like leaves, some hairy, some not, with flowers of various colours. Most are long flowering during late spring and summer.
 
 
   
Potentilla crantzii CRANTZII
A low dense mound of green leaves with a mass of golden yellow flowers throughout late spring and summer. 7.5 cm
likes troughssun
 
   
POTENTILLA x HOPWOODIANA X HOPWOODIANA
A very pretty but difficult coloured flower to describe, palest pinky-apricot with white, darker pink on outer edge, with deep red eye for months in summer, on trailing stems. (We will only have a few this year) 30 cm
new in 2008
sun
 
   
Potentilla 'Miss Willmott' NEPALENSIS ‘MISS WILLMOTT’
Large rich pink flowers with darker centre from mid to late summer, on sprawly stems. 45 cm
sun
 
   
POTENTILLA RUPESTRIS RUPESTRIS
Red tinted, branching stems of clear white flowers with small yellow eye from May to July. 45 cm
new in 2008
sun
 
   
Potentilla x tonguei X TONGUEI
Peachy-apricot flowers with a deep carmine-red eye in summer, on sprawling stems. 12 cm
sun
 
   
Potentilla 'Volcan' ‘VOLCAN’
Double crimson flowers, sometimes with a splash of yellow in the petals, for weeks in summer. 45 cm
sun
 
 

PRIMULA

  Most Primulas thrive in a moisture-retentive soil in sun or semi-shade. They benefit from being divided every two or three years.
 
 
   
auricula 'marie crousse'
Double, dark purple flowers in spring. 10 cm
likes troughssunsemi-shade
 
   
Primula 'Elizabeth Killelay' ‘ELIZABETH KILLELAY’
A double gold-laced primula, with maroon flowers and golden edges to the petals, in spring. (PBR protected) 15 cm
sunsemi-shade
 
   
Primula Gold-Laced group GOLD-LACED GROUP
A striking Primula with several flowers coming off a single stem. Maroon with yellow centres and a distinctive golden rim to the edge of the petals, in late winter and early spring. 15 cm
sunsemi-shade
 
   
Primula 'Lilac' ‘LILAC’
Correct name not known. Like a lilac primrose: flowers for months from late winter onwards. 10 cm
sunsemi-shade
 
   
Primula	x pubescens	'Christine' X PUBESCENS ‘CHRISTINE’
Auricula-like foliage. Maroon flowers at odd times during the year! 5 cm
likes troughssun
 
   
Primula x pubescens 'Harlow Carr' x pubescens 'harlow carr'
Soft ivory-white flowers that age a palest lilac-cream, in spring. 5 cm
likes troughssunsemi-shade
 
   
Primula veris VERIS
‘Cowslip’. Naturalises well in short grass. Yellow flowers in April and May. 15 cm
ready in Julysunsemi-shade
 
   
Primula veris 'Katy McSparron' veris 'katy mcsparron'
Double flowered form of the wild cowslip. Clusters of double yellow flowers in spring. 20 cm
sunsemi-shade
 
   
Primula vulgaris VULGARIS
Wild primrose, grown from seed. Needs no description. 10 cm
sunsemi-shade
 
 

PTEROCEPHALUS

liked by bees

pterocephalus perennis PERENNIS (syn. P. PARNASSI)
Pale green felty foliage with round heads of pretty pink scabious-like flowers in summer. Makes a large carpet. 10 cm
sun
 
 

PULMONARIA

  Otherwise known as ‘Lungwort’. They like a moist soil in sun or shade. After flowering, they can be cut right back to promote fresh new leaves, which provide useful groundcover. They flower in late winter to early spring.

 
 
  liked by bees
Pulmonaria  'Blue Ensign' BLUE ENSIGN’
A good blue form, with plain green leaves. 25 cm
happy anywhere
 
   
Pulmonaria  'Bonnie' 'BONNIE'
Self-seeded on the nursery and named after our old dog we used to have. Purple-mauve flowers from late winter to spring over fairly plain, dark green leaves. 30 cm
happy anywhere
 
   
Pulmonaria 'Diana Clare' 'diana clare'
Good all silver foliage, with large violet-blue flowers in late winter, early spring. 25 cm
happy anywhere
 
   
Pulmonaria 'Lewis Palmer' 'lewis palmer'
Dark blue flowers held proud over dark green leaves with silvery spots, from late winter to early spring. 25 cm
happy anywhere
 
   
Pulmonaria 'Opal' 'opal' (syn. p. 'ocupol')
Green foliage with silver markings, and beautiful pale blue flowers from late winter and early spring. 25 cm
ready in Julyhappy anywhere
 
   
PULMONARIA SACCHARATA ‘DORA BIELEFELD’ SACCHARATA ‘DORA BIELEFELD’
Soft pink flowers from late winter to spring, over silver spotted foliage. 30 cm

new in 2008

happy anywhere

 
   
Pulmonaria saccharata	'Leopard' SACCHARATA ‘LEOPARD’
Spotty leaves and pinky-brick red flowers. 30 cm
happy anywhere
 
 

PULSATILLA

  All Pulsatillas are harmful if eaten.
 
 
   
Pulsatilla	vulgaris VULGARIS
‘ Pasque flower’. Purple, slightly nodding heads of flowers in March and April, followed by fluffy seed heads in June. 15 cm
sun
 
   
Pulsatilla	vulgaris	'Alba' VULGARIS ‘ALBA’
White, slightly nodding heads of flowers in March and April. Followed by fluffy seed heads in June. 15 cm
sun
 
   
Pulsatilla vulgaris rubra VULGARIS var. RUBRA
Red ‘Pasque flower’. Red, slightly nodding heads of flowers in March and April; form beautiful fluffy seed heads in June. 15 cm
sun
 
back | top | home | terms & conditions | glossary of plant terms
The Mead Nursery, Brokerswood, Near Westbury, Wiltshire, BA13 4EG    Telephone 01373 859 990   ©Platform 1 Design