Persicaria 'Pink Elephant'
Knotweed, Hybrid knotweed
Also known as Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Pink Elephant'
- Height × spread
- 1.2m × 1.2m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Flowers
- Summer, Autumn
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
Striking when in flower which occurs in late summer and autumn. The flowers are lifted above the foliage on slim stems coloured rich brown. They carry elongated, slender bottle-brush flowers that often bend and wave along their length. They are coloured a bright clear pink, coral coloured at the tip where the buds have yet to open. The leaves are quite large, tapering to a tip, rich green and make excellent ground cover. Could be interesting to grow this in the vicinity of a plant with roughly similar flowers that appear at an earlier season, perhaps the unusual Neillia thibetica or even a spring flowering current like Ribes sanguineum 'Pulborough Scarlet'.
- Flower colour
- Pink
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Dome
- Height
- 1.2m
- Spread
- 1.2m
- Season of interest
- Summer, Autumn
- Flowers in
- Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Wild flower meadow, Prairie garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, tolerates part shade, tolerates light shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil, Well drained soil
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Ground cover
- Maintenance
- Easycare – low/no maintenance
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed with slow release fertiliser
Apply a general purpose slow release fertiliser, spreading it around the root area of the plant as it is coming into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water to keep the soil moist
For best results, this plant needs soil that is always moist. Water deeply and regularly as soon as soil appears dry. Even for established plants in the ground, a dry week can cause problems with some soils. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather. Or install an automatic irrigation system which will do the hard work for you, even when you are away on holiday.
Without regular watering some plants never fully regain their beauty.
Spring - early-mid · Planting
Divide when too large
The plant can be divided if it becomes too large or another plant is required. This may involve physically dividing the clump in two, removing offsets or small bulbs or dividing rhizomes. The new plants can be grown in pots or planted in the ground.
Found in
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