Persicaria affinis Kabouter

The Persicaria affinis Kabouter is undoubtedly one of the most decorative of the Himalayan knotweeds. Indeed, it is an extremely floriferous variety with densely flowered spikes that display a superb range of colors from almost white to deep purple.  And the show continues throughout the summer, sometimes until October, while the foliage turns crimson. This hardy perennial, which forms a vigorous and colourful dense mat, is an excellent ground cover for moist to wet areas, in full sun or partial shade.

The Persicaria affinis Kabouter, also known as Polygonum affine, belongs to the family of Polygonaceae. As partially indicated by its name, it is native to the entire Himalayan range from Afghanistan in the west to northern Myanmar in the east, and it is perfectly hardy. Thanks to its creeping rhizomes, the plant forms a wider than tall clump; it grows to a height of 20-30 cm (8-12in) and a width of 60-70 cm (24-28in), forming a dense mat. The leaves are oblanceolate (lance-shaped, wider at the top and ending in a blunt tip), measuring 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4in) in length and are a bright green until summer. They turn beautiful shades of red and purple in autumn and eventually become coppery in winter if they do not fall. However, the foliage is generally considered deciduous in winter in most regions. The long-lasting flowering period extends from June to September-October, depending on the climate. The numerous small conical flowers cluster together in cylindrical spikes measuring 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4in) in length. Their colour evolves over time, creating a bicoloured aspect at the scale of the spike; pale pink flowers darken until they become deep red at the end of flowering, creating an original two-tone effect.

Persicaria Kabouter forms a vibrant vegetal cover that remains attractive for a large part of the year, and can be used as a ground cover along pathways, for example, as well as in fresh rock gardens and around water features, wherever the soil does not dry out in summer. It can also be planted in containers. It can be paired with plants that have remarkable characteristics during this season: the Callicarpa bodinieri Profusion with its magnificent purple berries, bronze or ochre-colored grasses such as Molinias, or asters with blue, pink, white, or mauve flowers. The Persicaria affinis is stoloniferous, it self-sows and naturalizes with surprising ease. Therefore, in very mild climates, it can become invasive.