The May/June flowers are beautiful, and this is one of the plants that most frequently elicits questions from those on garden tours. It's...Read More not commonly grown in New England. It blooms for about 3 weeks in May/June, with some later rebloom if deadheaded. Flower stems do not get more than 18" tall.
The Royal Horticultural Society has given this cultivar its coveted Award of Garden Merit.
Armitage (_Herbaceous Perennial Plants_) states that it's hardy in Z3-7, and that it does poorly in the hot humid summers of the southeastern US.
It's an aggressive spreader in the garden by a thick shallow rhizome. A bit of a thug, it's not difficult to control if you're willing to dig out the excess annually. But I now regret not planting it in a sunken bottomless container, as I wasn't vigilant enough to stop it from bulldozing its way over some smaller neighbors and killing them.
Fortunately, I haven't seen this self-sow. According to BONAP, it has naturalized in 3 New England states but is ecologically invasive nowhere in North America.
In the heat of summer, it does require a bit more water than most of my perennials, but it isn't the thirstiest, either. It probably helps that the soil is a heavy silt, and it gets dappled shade most of the day with an hour of early morning sun. May go summer dormant if it gets too much sun and too little water. Tolerates boggy soil, and is suitable for water gardens. The foliage is deciduous here, not evergreen.
I've had it for about 15 years in Boston Z6a, with never any winter protection.
The species was used in traditional herbal medicine.
Now most taxonomists call this species "Bistorta officinalis".
North Plains, OR (Zone 8a) | November 2010 | positive
One of the summer highlights of my shade garden with its beautiful tall pink flowers, it thrives in clay soil in partial shade. ...Read Morer />
It does spread by root, but is easily controlled. I pull up what I don't want in the spring and pot it up for my local plant sale.
It seems to like the shady clay, which holds moisture well in summer head.
The May/June flowers are beautiful, and this is one of the plants that most frequently elicits questions from those on garden tours. It's...Read More
One of the summer highlights of my shade garden with its beautiful tall pink flowers, it thrives in clay soil in partial shade.
...Read More
Mine is in heavy soil and often dry in summer, which seems to keep it within bounds easily. Wonderful cut flower.
A semi-evergreen perennial cultivar.
Bears dense spikes of soft pink flowers which bees seem to like.
This ...Read More