Persicaria amplexicaulis, aka ‘mountain fleece’
Over the years, I have fallen out of love with certain plants. Never gonna happen with persicaria, as my obsession grows with every passing year.
Even though it is non-native, it is not invasive. Persicaria ‘Firetail’ ticks all the boxes for me:
it’s see-through
it’s trouble-free
it’s a pollinator magnet
it blooms for over 4 months in southern NH
it sports handsome foliage that ages well into fall months
Designing with persicaria:
Tall, red Persicaria ‘Firetail’ spikes are stunning when grown alone as a ‘hedge’ or mixed with taller, bold perennials like Joe Pye Weed, amsonia hubrichtii, and rudbeckia maxima as well as annuals like cosmos and verbena bonariensis. Persicaria plays well with these companion plants and is so robust and floriferous that it can be ‘pruned’ to help make space for its friends to create an incredible tapestry of color and form.
Definitely locate persicaria at the front of the border and on slopes to maximize the ‘see-through’ effects. Try planting under native birch trees to accentuate the red spikes against white bark. Or pair with white cosmos for a knockout color and form combination!
And for a spectacular groundcover, check out the persicaria affinis ‘Dimity’ in the photo gallery below!
For a screening, focal points, and a big impact, plant persicaria polymorpha, aka ‘Giant Fleece Flower’, seen in the gallery below.
Bees feast on persicaria amplexicaulis in summer
common myth:
Persicaria amplexicaulis is vigorous, but not invasive. It is not related to the invasive Japanese knotweed.
Plant type: perennial, native to Himalayas, China, Pakistan
Growing Zone: 4-9
Growing Conditions: full to part sun; prefers consistent, average moisture, does well near the water’s edge
Size: 36” x 36” after a few years
Spread: Plants will grow more broad over time, but can be easily controlled
Bloom: late July to November (or first killing frost)
Foliage: persists into November
Maintenance: none, leave dried seed heads for fall and winter interest
Biodiversity: pollen and nectar source for bees, wasps and butterflies
Pairings: amsonia hubrichtii, Joe Pye Weed, rudbeckia maxima, cosmos, verbena bonariensis
Location: front of border to maximize ‘see-through’ effects
Sourcing: available through The Big Little Garden
