Bistorta amplexicaulis
Red bistort
Common names: Mountain fleece, Persicaria
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jul–Oct
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
- Water need
- High
Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Description
Bistorta amplexicaulis, known in German as Kerzenknöterich, comes from the Himalayas and flowers unusually long, from July until the first frost. This perennial forms a dense, bushy clump up to 120 cm tall and almost as wide. The large, pointed leaves clasp the stem at their base. Slender, upright flower spikes in bright red stand above the foliage and look like small candles. Varieties with pink and white flowers also exist, and the cultivar 'Firetail' is widely sold. Bees, bumblebees, and butterflies readily visit the flowers. In the garden it suits the edges of ponds, moist beds, the front of woody plants, or planting next to late perennials and grasses. It does not spread invasively, but the clump becomes wide over the years, so allow enough space.
Care instructions
Plant red bistort in spring or September in a sunny to partly shaded spot with fresh, humus-rich soil. Allow 80 cm of spacing, as the clump widens over the years. In sun it needs evenly moist soil: water thoroughly during dry spells and mulch in early summer with leaves or grass clippings, which helps the soil retain moisture. Dryness shows as wilting leaves and weaker flowering. Deadheading is not necessary, as the flower spikes keep reappearing. In late winter, cut back the old stems. Divide the clump every three to five years when the center becomes bare. The most common mistake is a spot that is too dry in harsh midday sun.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJul–Oct
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, loamy
Mountain fleece grows best on fresh to moist, humus-rich and nutrient-rich soil, as offered by mountain meadows and stream banks. Loamy garden soil with plenty of compost is ideal, and the pH may range from slightly acidic to neutral. On dry, sandy soil it suffers in summer; there, work in plenty of compost before planting and mulch later. It tolerates permanent waterlogging poorly; the soil should be moist but permeable.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar, Jun
Mountain fleece grows vigorously and readily takes up nutrients. In March, spread ripe compost around the plant, and in June add a second application, and it will last until the first frost. Horn shavings or rotted manure also suit it. In between, you can water it with diluted nettle feed.
Overwintering
Mountain fleece is hardy and in the bed usually survives frost down to about minus 25 degrees without protection. Leave the stems and foliage standing over winter; they protect the shoot buds at ground level from frost and wet. Cut them back to a hand's breadth above the ground only in February or March. In harsh areas and in the first winter after planting, also cover the root zone with leaves or brushwood.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- Cuttings
The best way to propagate mountain fleece is by division. In spring shortly after it starts into growth, or in September, dig up the clump and divide it with a spade into pieces with several shoots, which you replant straight away and water well. This is worthwhile every few years, as soon as the centre of the clump goes bare. Cuttings are also possible: in spring, cut young shoots about 8 cm long from the edge of the clump and insert them into moist seed compost. Varieties stay true only through division or cuttings.
For your garden
Grow Red bistort yourself
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