Although called buckwheat, persicaria is not the edible buckwheat (Fagopyrum) and should not be confused with any of the other plants with the same common name. This fundamentalist branch of the Buckwheat family split off from polygonum over issues of sexual infidelity (polygonumy).
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Like its close cousin, the genus Persicaria has many weedy species and somewhat of a bad reputation. However, as with any nefarious family, there are always some good members. Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon' is one such example. This persicaria is sterile and non-stoloniferous...it does not run around and it does not make babies...sounds like it would make a good husband.
This versatile persicaria likes sun and even moisture for best performance. Persicaria leaves are often multi-colored and often marked with dark centers and silver chevrons. Persicaria looks great in perennial borders or in mixed containers, and goes well with silver foliage or yellow flowers. Try combining persicaria with phlomis, coreopsis, or any of the variegated ornamental grasses. Other than an occasional haircut, persicaria is a low maintenance plant. When you are ready to buy persicaria for your perennial garden, check out our online listing of persicaria for sale below.
Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery has been the choice of serious gardeners and plant collectors looking for the best and rarest perennial plants. We are pleased to have received the Perennial Plant Association Retail Award in 2011, the American Horticulture Society Commercial Award in 2002, and to have been selected as one of the Best Mail Order Plant Sources - Garden Design Magazine 2010. Welcome to our family of plant lovers!
From the late plantsman Greg Speichert comes this fabulous perennial, which emerges in spring with dark burgundy-red stems that form a 3-4' tall x 4-5' wide plant. Each stem is lined with exquisite, tricolor, chevron-patterned leaves of purple, silver, and green. From midsummer through fall, the tips of the plant are covered in tiny, white baby's-breath-like flowers. Persicaria 'Red Dragon' is great in the perennial border as well as in a mixed container planting. In climates with hot nights, the intensity of the leaf coloration will not be as dramatic. Persicaria 'Red Dragon' is not a runner, but tips that touch the ground may root down if the soil is moist. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This stunning tovara was brought into the US by Terra Nova's Dan Heims, who saw it in a garden in Tasmania. We have been unable to determine the species so far. The leaves are darker green and much thicker than Tovara 'Painters Palette', with a unique, velvety appearance highlighted by a dark chevron pattern. The 2' tall, upright clumps are topped with alien-like, red-flowering antennae in very late fall; therefore, seeding is minimized in most climates. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(syn: Polygonum polymorphum) We first received Persicaria polymorpha from its greatest admirer, Wolfgang Oehme (Oehme and Van Sweeden). Persicaria polymorpha is native to high-elevation gravelly slopes in China and Japan, but has made a superb garden plant for us in full sun. The 5' tall x 5' wide deciduous vase-shaped clump of upright fleshy stems is adorned with large, pointed green leaves and topped with large terminal panicles of white flowers from late May through August (NC). Persicaria polymorpha has proven to be an absolutely stunning and carefree garden plant...no seedlings in over a decade in our garden. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
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