Thursday, September 26, 2013

Mountain Fleece, Featured Plant of The Day

Polygonum amplexicaule
syn. Persicaria amplexicaulis
    Knotweed,  Mountain Fleece,  Smartweed

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    5B to 9A
Height    24" to 5' / 60cm to 1.60m
Growth rate    Fast
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Full sun

Bloom Color    Pink, purple, red and white
Bloom Time    Summer and Fall

The flowers are showy.

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    No change in fall color
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
This plant grows best where summers are not too hot and winters are not extremely cold.  It produces slender spikes of red flowers in summer.  The name knotweed comes from the fact that the stem of this plant has swollen nodes.  This is considered a dwarf Polygonum species.