- Botanical name: Phygelius 'Red Emperor'
- Common name: Cape leadwort
- Family: Scrophulariaceae
- Plant Type: Shrub, Semi-evergreen
Pink
Red
Green
- Key features:
- Flowers
- Prefers rich soil
Phygelius, commonly known as Cape figwort or Cape fuchsia, is a small genus comprising just two species, both of which are native to South Africa. As part of the Scrophulariaceae family, they’re related to verbascums, snapdragons and penstemons.
Phygelius ‘Red Emperor’ is part of the Croftway series, bred in the UK by Malcolm Spencer. Like the other cultivars in this series, ‘Red Emperor’ is free-flowering, compact and bushy in growth habit. As the name suggests, ‘Red Emperor’ has rich cerise-coloured flowers. It looks fantastic as part of a sunny herbaceous border or in a large container.
For best results, grow Phygelius ‘Red Emperor’ in full sun or partial shade in moist, fertile and well-drained soil. Cut back the flower spikes once past their best to encourage further blooms. Though it’s a semi-evergreen shrub, Phygelius ‘Red Emperor’ can be treated as a herbaceous perennial in colder locations, with a layer of mulch over winter to protect the roots. It can then be cut back hard in spring. Otherwise, lightly prune in spring to improve plants’ shape.
How to grow Phygelius 'Red Emperor'
-
Plant size
50cm height
50cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Front, middle
- Sun exposure: Full sun, partial shade
- Hardiness: Frost hardy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do not Plant in June |
J
Do not Plant in July |
A
Do not Plant in August |
S
Do not Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does flower in May |
J
Plant does flower in June |
J
Plant does flower in July |
A
Plant does flower in August |
S
Plant does flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
| Take cuttings | ||||||||||||
| Take cuttings |
J
Do not Take cuttings in January |
F
Do not Take cuttings in February |
M
Do not Take cuttings in March |
A
Do not Take cuttings in April |
M
Do not Take cuttings in May |
J
Do not Take cuttings in June |
J
Do Take cuttings in July |
A
Do Take cuttings in August |
S
Do not Take cuttings in September |
O
Do not Take cuttings in October |
N
Do not Take cuttings in November |
D
Do not Take cuttings in December |
| Cut back | ||||||||||||
| Cut back |
J
Do not Cut back in January |
F
Do Cut back in February |
M
Do Cut back in March |
A
Do not Cut back in April |
M
Do not Cut back in May |
J
Do not Cut back in June |
J
Do not Cut back in July |
A
Do not Cut back in August |
S
Do not Cut back in September |
O
Do Cut back in October |
N
Do Cut back in November |
D
Do not Cut back in December |
Phygelius 'Red Emperor' and wildlife
Phygelius 'Red Emperor' has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Phygelius 'Red Emperor' poisonous?
Phygelius 'Red Emperor' has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
Plants that go well with Phygelius 'Red Emperor'
