Persicaria amplexicaulis Amethyst Summer

Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Amethyst Summer' is a knotweed that stands out for its abundant summer flowering of intense magenta violet red. It is a rather compact variety, whose foliage takes on a beautiful red hue at the end of the season. A robust perennial plant, undemanding in terms of soil type, as long as it is rich and moist. You can plant it in full sun or partial shade in flower beds or near water features.

Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Amethyst' is a plant from the Polygonaceae family. It is normally deciduous in winter, depending on the climate, and quickly forms a tuft of 70 cm (28in) in flower (50-55 cm (20-22in) for the foliage). This plant spreads more or less slowly, depending on the soil fertility. This floriferous knotweed produces numerous spikes of 7 to 15 cm (3 to 6in) in length at the axil of the leaves located at the end of the stems, composed of small violet flowers that turn magenta as they bloom. The flowering is continuous throughout the summer, from June to September, if the soil doesn't dry out too much. The leaves are carried by sturdy stems and are lanceolate to heart-shaped, 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8in) long with embracing bases. They are medium to dark green, hairy on the underside and turn red in early autumn.

This beautiful 'Amethyst' knotweed blends perfectly in wild settings and forms stunning summer-to-autumn scenes with ornamental grasses. Thanks to its spreading growth habit, it can be used as ground cover where you have enough space for it. This plant enjoys full sun, but also partial shade. It prefers rich and heavy, moist or even very wet soils, and can be grown on sunny pond banks and even in moist, partial shade at the base of trees. In this use, it pairs well with bugbanes, giant hostas, or Japanese anemones.