Sanguisorba officinalis Morning Select

The Sanguisorba officinalis 'Morning Select', a new variety of Burnet, compact and floriferous, is a very pretty plant for a flower meadow or rustic border. Above a tuft of finely cut light green foliage, a multitude of flowers in small dark red spikes sway in the slightest breeze. This delicate flowering continues throughout the summer, blending beautifully with wildflowers and the wispy grasses. Robust and perfectly hardy, even in heavy, waterlogged soils in winter, this unassuming perennial will bring a natural and colourful touch to the garden. The Burnet is originally a plant that thrives in cool to moist soil and creates a sensation near water sources.

The Sanguisorba officinalis is a medicinal botanical species found throughout the temperate northern hemisphere, from Europe to North America, passing through northern and western Asia. It belongs to the large Rosaceae family. It is a herbaceous, rhizomatous perennial plant that does not become invasive, growing from a vigorous stump. The foliage emerges in spring and disappears in winter.

The 'Morning Select' cultivar has been selected for its increased floribundity and its excellent resistance to wind and bad weather. It quickly forms a tuft about 80 cm (32in) tall and 60 cm (24in) wide, gradually spreading to form beautiful leafy masses of light and fresh green. From June to August, slender, green, ramified floral stems emerge from the foliage, bearing upright, cylindrical spikes, 3-4 cm (1-2in) long. They are adorned with tiny flowers that are dark red with black highlights. The faded and browned inflorescences remain decorative for a long time. This flowering towers above the finely cut foliage. The basal leaves, 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12in) long, are divided into 7 to 25 oblong, elliptical, and regularly dentate leaflets. The few scattered leaves on the stems are smaller.

The compact 'Morning Select' Burnet can be placed at the heart of flower beds, in a large border, in a flower meadow, or by a pond, in any soil that will not dry out, even in summer, even if it tends to be chalky or clayey. It has the advantage of being highly resistant to cold, making it suitable for almost all regions. For a wild and refined effect, it can be planted en masse, combined with Lychnis Jenny, Cirsium Atropurpureum, and beautiful grasses, such as Miscanthus and Pennisetum. It will accompany, with lightness, other beautiful foliage plants, such as Alchemilla mollis. Its foliage, with its delightful cucumber scent, can also be added to mixed salads.