type : Perennials
sun exposure : Full Sun, Partial Shade
water : Regular Water
Plant Details
Sturdy plants with jointed stems and small white or pink flowers. Some kinds tend to get out of hand and need to be controlled.
persicaria affinis
- Himalayan Knotweed.
- Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8.
- Himalayan native.
- Spreading plant to 1 feet high, 2 feet or more wide.
- Deep green, lance-shaped, finely tooth-edged leaves are mostly basal; they grow 2412 inches long, turn bronze in winter.
- Dense, erect, 2- to 3 inches spikes of bright rosy red flowers bloom in summer, early fall.
- Informal border or ground cover.
- Darjeeling Red forms 3 inches-high foliage mats, has 10 inches spikes of deep pink flowers that age to red; its foliage turns red in fall.
- Dimity sports pale pink flowers and larger leaves than the species.
persicaria alpina(Persicaria polymorpha) Alpine Knotweed
- Zones US, MS, LS, CS; USDA 6-9.
- Native to China, Japan.
- To 46 feet tall, 4 feet wide.
- Forms a bushy clump of rough-textured, lance-shaped, dark green leaves to 8 inches long.
- In summer, sturdy stems are topped by big, fluffy, creamy white flower plumes reminiscent of astilbe.
- Not invasive.
- Tolerates heat and humidity.
persicaria amplexicaulis
- Mountain Fleece.
- Zones US, MS; USDA 6-7.
- Himalayan native.
- Forms a big clumpto 4 feet tall and wide when plants are in flower.
- Medium green leaves are pointed ovals up to 10 inches long.
- Blooms profusely from midsummer to fall, bearing narrow, 4 inches blossom spikes similar to those of lavender (Lavandula) but in a wider range of colorspink, purple, red, white.
- Firetail has bright scarlet flowers.
persicaria bistorta
- Bistort.
- Zones US, MS; USDA 6-7.
- Native to Eurasia.
- Makes a clump to 212 feet tall, 3 feet wide, with broadly oval, medium green, 4- to 12 inches-long leaves.
- Tight, 2- to 3 inches spikes of pale pink or white flowers bloom from late spring until well into summer.
- Superba is a good pink selection.
persicaria capitata
- Pink Knotweed.
- Perennial in Zones US, MS, LS, CS; USDA 6-9; annual elsewhere.
- Himalayan native.
- Tough, trailing ground cover grows 36 inches high, spreading indefinitely both by rooting stems and by self-seeding.
- Oval, 112 inches-long leaves are dark green when new, take on pinkish overtones when mature.
- Leaves of all ages have a bronzy cast that deepens in cooler weather; they discolor and die below 28F.
- Stems and small, round flower heads are pink.
- Blooms almost all year in mild climates.
- Best in confined spots (where it won't be able to spread) or in uncultivated areas.
- No watering needed.
fleece flower
persicaria microcephala
- Perennial.
- Zones US, MS, LS, CS; USDA 6-9.
- Red Dragon is the poster child of the species and a striking addition to a sun- to-part shade bed.
- Dark burgundy foliage is the reason to grow it, although it does have small white flowers in late summer.
- It does not spread underground, remaining in a clump unless a stem bends over and puts down roots.
- Well-behaved to 3 feet tall.
creeping fleece flower
persicaria vacciniifolia
- Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8.
- Himalayan native.
- Prostrate plant forms a foliage mat to 3 inches high, trailing to 2 feet or wider.
- Slender, branching, reddish stems are clothed in oval, 12 inches-long, shiny green leaves that turn red in fall.
- In late summer, 6- to 9 inches flower stalks bear dense, upright, foxtail-like, 2- to 3 inches spikes of rose-pink blossoms.
- Excellent as a bank cover or for draping over a boulder in a large rock garden.
virginia knotweed
persicaria virginiana
- Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8.
- Native to eastern North America, eastern Asia.
- To 24 feet tall, spreading indefinitely by creeping rhizomes.
- Oval green leaves 310 inches long; insignificant flowers.
- The species is rarely found in gardens.
- More commonly seen is 'Painter's Palette', valued for its flashy foliage: Leaves are marbled in green, pale gray- green, and ivory, with a ragged chocolate-maroon V in the center.
- On new growth, the ivory patches are closer to yellow, and the central V-shaped mark has a pink cast.