Willowherbs
What’s looking good now?
Sometimes known as ‘fireweed’ in the United States, because of its propensity for moving into areas blackened by fires, rosebay willowherb is regarded by many as a weed. Not only does it run just under the ground, throwing up multiple new shoots as it goes, but it also seeds itself prolifically around from masses of fluffy seed heads at the top of its tall stems.
Because of its profligate habits, you often see it en masse – enormous banks of its beautiful bluish-pink flowers forming massive swathes on railway embankments, road verges and at the edge of any open ground.
You’ll seldom see it encouraged by gardeners, except perhaps in its pure white form which seems not to seed everywhere – it may be sterile. Whenever I want more, I simply pull up a few roots, preferably during winter or early spring, and reset them in a prepared area, or pot them up and plant them out when they’ve made decent roots.
The white form is u erly lovely and a striking addition to astilbe and phlox, both in flower around the same time. This is how we use it here at Glebe Co age.
Recently on a train journey from Edinburgh to Manchester it seemed to go on for miles and in the dull light of an unusually drizzly day its glorious flowers positively glowed. It was in full flow as we left Scotland, half in seed as we went through the Lake District, but by the time we got to Lancashire it had all but finished its flowering. It was a timely reminder of the differences in climate and season faced by British gardeners. Two days later, journeying from the North to London, the willowherb was nothing but a mass of fluff. Another willowherb,
Epilobium dodonaei, is a much smaller and gentler plant that’s suitable for a rock garden, with slightly
pendulous, white flowers, each with a creamy donger within.