Perfect for those of us gardening on clay soil, this versatile genus performs well pretty much anywhere.
Valued for their resilient, hard-wearing nature, persicarias suppress weeds with their densely packed ornamental leaves that form an attractive ground cover.
The longflowering period is staggering; these plants offer a welcome flamboyance late in the year when decorated with ornamental flower spires. Also excellent as cut flowers, persicarias bloom in shades of pink, white and red. Divide clumps every three years to reinvigorate the plants; aside from this, persicarias are very low maintenance and easy to grow.
Rarely offered, this breathtaking, clump-forming specimen resembles an aruncus rather than a persicaria. The upright habit and impressive height (5ft 9in/1.8m) catch the eye and make a strong architectural statement. In summer, the arrow-shaped foliage becomes strewn with a showy mass of cream flowers that later blush pink. These handsome plumes are held on well-branched, robust stems. Spread 3ft 2in (1m).
This elegant, semi-evergreen beauty has gooseneck flower stems that are attractively hued red, while the blossoms appear in a muted blush-pink tone that adds a soft, romantic charm to the garden. Flowering July-October, the stout stems hover above compact, glaucous foliage, making this an ideal plant for bulking out the middle of a border. Spread 1ft 9in (55cm).
Flowering July-October, this 2005-introduction has striking black buds and wine-red flowers. The brooding colour adds a sumptuous, smouldering presence to any border, while the simple and green foliage is disease-free. As it can grow up to 3ft 9in (1.2m) tall, place ‘Blackfield’ towards the back of a border, where it can cover large expanses of soil. Spread 2ft 6in (76cm).