Knot a Weed!

Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Taurus' and Schizachyrium scoparium, 'The Blues' Little Bluestem

Ahhh, the lovely, indispensable (and unfortunately named) knotweed, Persicaria.

Growing up in the midwest, we actually had knotweed growing in shady portions of our garden, amongst the hostas and (shudder) bishops weed. It was small, spindly and not much to look at, with little pink bottlebrush blossoms and, I'll admit, a weedy demeanor. Unbeknownst to me at the time, there was a host of garden-worthy varieties already being used (mostly in Europe). Who knows who it was that first started championing them, but I first noticed them in the plantings of Piet Oudoulf (my hero!). He used them to great effect, in large swaths, as edgers, and mixed in with other wild-looking plants like Rattlesnake Master, Sanguisorbia and Eupatorium. I don't think I really even liked them at first, even then...they reminded me too much of the weed I'd battled in a previous life. I've warmed up to them considerably, however, and now love them, in almost every form they offer!

'Taurus', pictured above (and to the right), is one of my favorites. It's too early to tell how it will fare in my garden, but they've grown considerably from when first planted only a month or so ago, and are starting to really take off. I honestly thought they might have been a dwarf version of the similar plants I'd seen in other gardens, the leaves and habit seemed so tiny and compact. It seems they only needed a month to settle in, and now are starting to rapidly increase in size...granted, they were tiny plants when I got them, but they've probably tripled in size within the span of a few months. Now that it's cooler and we've gotten some nice doses of rain, they are going like gangbusters. They have not stopped flowering since they were planted (I deadheaded all the blooms at that time...but they were already flowering a week later). Their flowers are a somewhat startling shade of fucshia at first, gradually toning down to a deep, rusty red. I love how wild, yet delicate they look, and they contrast wonderfully with the Little Bluestem Grass they are paired with. Their medium-sized, heart-shaped leaves are a wonderfully vibrant shade of green, and when stressed, they mottle with lovely red and orange tones (I'm wondering if they will have fall color due to this trait, we'll wait and see).

Persicaria virginiana This may be my favorite Persicaria, at least for the moment. I positively adore its wonderful, light green leaves with their bold mahogany chevron. They really stand out and look wonderful next to everything, plus, they are soft and sort of "quilted", I can't walk by without reaching out and squeezing the leaves. I really like them next to the 'Blackie' Sweet Potato Vine, and it even looks nice weaving through the neighboring Salvia 'Purple Majesty'. It's actually started flowering last week...and they are strangely beautiful, but not immediately noticeable.

Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon' Ok, I admit, I wanted this plant because a neighbor grows it, and I've envied it since the day I saw it! I've seen 'Red Dragon' elsewhere and thought it was only ok. The color was dull, the stems were spindly, the flowers, very "meh". When I saw this neighbor's plant though, I realized it COULD be beautiful. She corsets and cuts hers back in early summer, just as it starts to sprawl, resulting in a lovely plant. The color does wash out a bit later on, but it's still beautiful. The burgundy leaves have chevrons of green and silver, and when backlit by the sun, it looks like stained glass.

As if all this wasn't enough, it's also really easy to propagate! Earlier this summer, I accidentally snapped a few stems off as I was weeding, and decided there was nothing to lose, so I stuck them in a glass of water. Below, you can see them a month later, they started sending out roots after only 3 days! I decided once it started sending out new leaves underwater, it was time to plant them in the garden. Below, right, is the newly-planted 'Red Dragon' cutting. I've recently noticed a few self-sown seedlings of the same plant in the garden...although, now that I know how easily cuttings root, these seedlings could just be parts of stems that have fallen on the ground and rooted.



So, there you have it...Knotweed, aka Persicarias. They are tough, vigorous, and dare I say it, even a little whimsical...a tall order for any plant. A side note, Persicarias really haven't caught on in my area yet, and as such, are relatively hard to find in local nurseries. Luckily, I found them this spring at one of my favorite nurserieies, Joy Creek Nursery, in Scappoose, OR.

I leave you with a shot of an actual knotweed in my parking strip! It's true, just the other day, I realized I did have a "weedy" knotweed right here in my garden. It's tiny, only a few inches high, but has survived all summer and is now flower...I might even dig it up and move it into the garden...how charming would it be in front of 'Taurus'! These plants may be weeds to some, but I wouldn't be without them!