Painted Persicarias
They're tough, hardy perennials that erupt early from winter dormancy. When they flower later in the year the little white flowers are nothing to write home about. The frequently need cutting back, both at 'Chelsea chop' time and again later in the year. They can even be invasive in good conditions. So why are they a mainstay of many an exotic garden?
Because of the foliage.
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| Persicaria microcephala 'Purple Fantasy' |
One of the features of sub-tropical and tropical gardens is the use of bright foliage as underplanting to the specimen plants. In cold, wet and windy UK we can't grow the range of colourful foliage plants available in warmer climates but we can grow plants like 'Purple Fantasy', 'Red Dragon' and 'Silver Dragon' to add that tropical looking sparkle to even mundane plantings.
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| Persicaria microcephala 'Silver Dragon' |
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| Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon' |
All three carry the characteristic V shaped leaf bar of
P.microcephala but the expression is different enough to make them equally desirable.
P. virginiana also offers a couple of painted leaf forms. 'Painter's Palette' is similar to 'Compton's Form' in the V bar is more diffuse and spread as blotches across the individual leaves. These emerge later in spring than the
P. microcephala varieties but soom cover theground with pretty leaves.
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| Persicaria virgata 'Compton's Form' |
So, if you're looking for a tough, hardy, ground covering filler plant under more exotic specimens you can't go too wrong with any or all of these painted Persicarias.
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