Persicaria
Botanical name: Persicaria
Persicaria
Botanical name: Persicaria
Description
The persicaria (Persicaria) are a large, diverse, and widely distributed group of flowering plants. Hardy and bearing colorful flower inflorescences, several persicaria are grown ornamentally. They tend to flower from midsummer through mid-fall. Gardeners should be careful with which species they choose to cultivate, though, as several persicaria have also become highly invasive in areas where they've been introduced.
Species of Persicaria
Arrowvine
Arrowvine (Persicaria sagittata) is an annual herb that can grow to be 2 m tall with prickles along the stem. Arrowvine is native to the eastern half of North America as well as eastern Asia. This species is also known as the American tearthumb and the arrowleaf tearthumb.
Slender knotweed
Persicaria decipiens was one of the plants first collected and described by naturalists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander during the first voyage of Captain James Cook. Persicaria decipiens is an annual plant that sometimes grows along the ground and sometimes more vertically. It's recognizable by its distinctive white to pink flower spikelets.
Halberd-leaf tearthumb
Halberd-leaf tearthumb (Persicaria arifolia) is a flowering herbaceous vine typically found in damp habitats across North America, but most typically in the midwest and the northeastern U.S. It prefers sandy and undisturbed natural habitats. Halberd-leaf tearthumb got its common name for its prickly stems, featuring tiny thrones that can cut into the skin. The flowers appear from summer to fall.
Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate
Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate (Persicaria orientalis) is an heirloom annual that can grow to 2.5 m tall. Native to China, it has been growing in the United States for the past two centuries. It is a fast grower and will adapt to any climate. Blooms magenta or lighter red flowers from early summer to first frost.
Thunbergs
Thunbergs are considered a weed, but are useful. They can be crushed to produce dye, and are an important pollen source for several bee and fly species. They can take up excess nitrogen and heavy metals, and so are now grown in areas polluted by these substances for this purpose. When the plant reaches maturity, it is plucked, taking the pollutants with it.
Spotted knotweed
Persicaria strigosa is an annual herb found throughout Africa, Asia, and Australia. It does well in wet soils and often grows in or at the edges of bodies of water. It is notable for its small, delicate pinkish-white flowers.
Pennsylvania smartweed
The Persicaria pensylvanica is native to parts of North America. It can reach up to 2 m tall with upright and ribbed stems that can be branching or unbranched. There may be a dark blotch on the leaf blade and its flowers have five pinkish or greenish sepals each only a few millimeters long. The plant's fruit serves as an important source of food for almost 50 species of birds.
Knotweeds 'Superba'
The knotweeds 'Superba' (Persicaria bistorta 'Superba') are a large, diverse, and widely distributed group of flowering plants. Hardy and bearing colorful flower inflorescences, several knotweeds 'Superba' are grown ornamentally. They tend to flower from midsummer through mid-fall. Gardeners should be careful with which species they choose to cultivate, though, as several knotweeds 'Superba' have also become highly invasive in areas where they've been introduced.
Persicaria viscofera
The persicaria viscofera (Persicaria viscofera) are a large, diverse, and widely distributed group of flowering plants. Hardy and bearing colorful flower inflorescences, several persicaria viscofera are grown ornamentally. They tend to flower from midsummer through mid-fall. Gardeners should be careful with which species they choose to cultivate, though, as several persicaria viscofera have also become highly invasive in areas where they've been introduced.
Persicaria pubescens
The persicaria pubescens (Persicaria pubescens) are a large, diverse, and widely distributed group of flowering plants. Hardy and bearing colorful flower inflorescences, several persicaria pubescens are grown ornamentally. They tend to flower from midsummer through mid-fall. Gardeners should be careful with which species they choose to cultivate, though, as several persicaria pubescens have also become highly invasive in areas where they've been introduced.
Knotweeds 'Blackfield'
Considered unique for its blood-red spikes that are present from summer to fall, this cultivar's name can be attributed to its black-tipped tapers. As opposed to other amplexicaulis, the knotweeds 'Blackfield' is taller and will bloom dark red, long-lived flowers. It can be used in borders and as a ground cover.
Knotweeds 'Superba'
Knotweeds 'Superba' is distinct for its spikes of tiny pale pink flowers that mature to a deep red. A dwarf cultivar of Persicaria affinis, its name acknowledges its beauty. This plant makes an attractive ground cover that changes color throughout the year - it blooms in the summer and its leaves become bronze-colored in the fall.
Knotweeds 'Donald L owndes'
The knotweeds 'Donald L owndes' (Persicaria affinis 'Donald L owndes') are a large, diverse, and widely distributed group of flowering plants. Hardy and bearing colorful flower inflorescences, several knotweeds 'Donald L owndes' are grown ornamentally. They tend to flower from midsummer through mid-fall. Gardeners should be careful with which species they choose to cultivate, though, as several knotweeds 'Donald L owndes' have also become highly invasive in areas where they've been introduced.
Knotweeds 'Atrosanguinea'
Knotweeds 'Atrosanguinea', which is sometimes also known as Mountain Fleece or red bistort, is a type of knotweed bred for its long red flowers which give it it’s ‘bloody’ name. It is hardy and robust, and useful for providing both color and bulk to beds or as a perennial border.
Pink knotweed
Pink knotweed (Persicaria capitata) is an evergreen perennial plant that grows up to 15 cm tall and 1.5 m long. Pink knotweed grows best in full sun and thrives in a variety of soil conditions. Pink knotweed is often cultivated as ground cover. It is considered an invasive weed in some regions.
China knotweed
China knotweed (Persicaria chinensis) is a flowering plant species that grows throughout China, Japan, the Indian Subcontinent, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. China knotweed is also known as creeping smartweed. This species is considered a weed in some coastal regions of Australia.
Water Pepper
Water Pepper is an annual herb that prefers to grow in moist areas and shallow water. The oils in this plant can be irritating to the skin, and the taste is unpalatable for most livestock.
Redshank
Often overlooked and seen as a weed, Persicaria maculosa subsp. maculosa contains various active substances like tannins, carbohydrates, vitamin C, organic acids, essential oils, and many others. It's a common plant in Eurasia.
False waterpepper
False waterpepper, also known as mild waterpepper, is a member of the buckwheat family. It has a sharp, peppery flavor, and the juice of the plant can cause your eyes to water. It grows in wet, marshy areas.
Water smartweed
A perennial, water smartweed grows in slow-moving water. It can grow in, near, or underwater with the leaves floating on the surface. Its seeds serve as a food source for ducks and other fowl.
Mile-A-Minute
Mile-A-Minute (Persicaria perfoliata) is an annual herbaceous vine native to East Asia. This fast-growing vine has the potential to be incredibly invasive and is also colloquially called the "mile-a-minute" vine due to its rapid growth. Birds find the berries tasty and spread the seeds through their excrement, causing this species to spread even more!
Dotted smartweed
Dotted smartweed (Persicaria punctata) is a wetland plant important to many kinds of native wildlife. Its nectar attracts bees and beetles, and many insect larvae feed on its leaves. Small birds and mammals find the seeds very tasty. This plant thrives wherever there’s shallow water to be found, such as in ponds and marshes.
Pale smartweed
Pale smartweed is easy to recognize by its pale rope of seeds that also give the plant its common name. The seeds of pale smartweed are a food source for wildlife in the United States, but the plant is considered invasive in Canada.
Asian jumpseed
Perennial, 30 to 80 cm in height. The stem part of the stem swells. The leaves are alternate, wide oval, 6 to 15 cm long, and have sharp tips. There is a cocoon leaf, and it is a sheath. There are coarse hairs on the whole leaves and stems. The flower has a general inflorescence, with flower heads that are 20 to 40 cm long from the top of the stem and leaf buds, and florets bloom sparsely. The color of the florets is red in the upper half and white in the lower half.
Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon'
Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon' is a cultivar of Persicaria microcephala prized for its clump-forming habit, deep red stems, and leaves that emerge brown-purple with a chevron pattern in green. Tiny white flowers bloom in late summer and autumn. It is named for its unique red stems. Gardeners favor this cultivar for its smaller size, and its tolerance of rabbits and deer.
Lobed leaf knotweed
Persicaria runcinata is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae, native to the eastern Himalayas and Myanmar. It was first described in 1825 as Polygonum runcinata.
Knotweeds 'Darjeeling Red'
Most Japanese knotweeds have white flowers, but knotweeds 'Darjeeling Red' produces 15 cm-long brushes of dense flowers that start a pinkish white and darken to a deep crimson color in autumn. This plant grows up to 25 cm tall, so is shorter than some other varieties of Knotweed, but it's immensely popular as an edging plant and it's also a rock garden favorite.
Knotweeds 'Firetail'
Knotweeds 'Firetail' (Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail') is very similar to mountain fleece (Persicaria amplexicaulis) and is a difficult cultivar to tell apart from its parent. The main difference is that knotweeds 'Firetail' develops deep-red flowers throughout all stages of development as its name suggests. They are popular additions to the borders of gardens and ponds, but need a decent amount of space to grow.
Persicaria maackiana
The persicaria maackiana (Persicaria maackiana) are a large, diverse, and widely distributed group of flowering plants. Hardy and bearing colorful flower inflorescences, several persicaria maackiana are grown ornamentally. They tend to flower from midsummer through mid-fall. Gardeners should be careful with which species they choose to cultivate, though, as several persicaria maackiana have also become highly invasive in areas where they've been introduced.
Knotweeds 'Taurus'
Compared to other cultivars, knotweeds 'Taurus' is more compact, flowers later in the season, and has crimson flowers that do not fade in the sun. The parent of this cultivar is Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail'. This plant is used in a variety of gardens due to its low maintenance needs and attractiveness to pollinators.
Small-headed knotweed
Small-headed knotweed (Persicaria microcephala) is a perennial with interesting leaves and showy flowers often utilized as a border plant for flower beds. It looks especially nice in wooden flower tubs or mixed containers. Not only does small-headed knotweed attract bees and birds, but it's also deer and rabbit resistant!
Japanese knotweed
The japanese knotweed (Persicaria japonica) are a large, diverse, and widely distributed group of flowering plants. Hardy and bearing colorful flower inflorescences, several japanese knotweed are grown ornamentally. They tend to flower from midsummer through mid-fall. Gardeners should be careful with which species they choose to cultivate, though, as several japanese knotweed have also become highly invasive in areas where they've been introduced.
Persicaria posumbu subsp. posumbu
The persicaria posumbu subsp. posumbu (Persicaria posumbu subsp. posumbu) are a large, diverse, and widely distributed group of flowering plants. Hardy and bearing colorful flower inflorescences, several persicaria posumbu subsp. posumbu are grown ornamentally. They tend to flower from midsummer through mid-fall. Gardeners should be careful with which species they choose to cultivate, though, as several persicaria posumbu subsp. posumbu have also become highly invasive in areas where they've been introduced.
Oriental lady's thumb
Oriental lady's thumb is a native of Asia and in that region it is a common weed in the rice paddies. Oriental lady's thumb can also be found in Europe and North America, where it is also considered a weed. It thrives in moist, wet soil such as floodplains, marshes, mudflats, and levees.
Lady's thumb
Persicaria maculosa is an annual plant that can grow up to 80 cm tall. It is native to Eurasia with a range from Iceland to Japan and has become an invasive species in North America. As it is considered a weed, it is almost never cultivated.
Pale smartweed
Pale smartweed is an annual herb that grows 20 to 79 cm tall. It features purplish stems that bulge at the joints. Flowers bloom in mid to late summer and are tiny and pink. Its fruit is a rounded, flat nut.
Jumpseed
Jumpseed (Persicaria virginiana) is a native North American plant related to buckwheat. Its common name jumpseed comes from the fact that the seeds appear to jump when a fully ripe seedpod is disrupted. It can be found throughout most of the central and eastern parts of the United States and Canada.
Minor smartweed
The minor smartweed (Persicaria minor) are a large, diverse, and widely distributed group of flowering plants. Hardy and bearing colorful flower inflorescences, several minor smartweed are grown ornamentally. They tend to flower from midsummer through mid-fall. Gardeners should be careful with which species they choose to cultivate, though, as several minor smartweed have also become highly invasive in areas where they've been introduced.
Persicaria biconvexa
The persicaria biconvexa (Persicaria biconvexa) are a large, diverse, and widely distributed group of flowering plants. Hardy and bearing colorful flower inflorescences, several persicaria biconvexa are grown ornamentally. They tend to flower from midsummer through mid-fall. Gardeners should be careful with which species they choose to cultivate, though, as several persicaria biconvexa have also become highly invasive in areas where they've been introduced.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Vascular plants Class
Dicotyledons Order
Pinks, cacti, and allies Family
Buckwheat Genus
Persicaria 
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