Bistorta, Himalayan Fleece Flower, Himalayan Knotweed 'Dimity'

I picked up this plant on a whim three years ago, and have basically fallen in love with it. The mat of foliage is thick and low-growing,...Read More but not monotonous, and spreads steadily but not invasively. The plant blooms for most of the summer (more profusely if kept moist), in shades of white, pink and red as the flowers age. The leaves start to turn a fantastic rich brown in the fall, giving the whole plant a lively, multicoloured appearance. There is a relatively small number of blooms on my sun-baked patches, but even in this less-than-ideal site, they are incredibly charming and beautiful groundcovers, especially if they can be viewed close-up, say at the edge of a walkway.