Sanguisorba officinalis Pink Tanna

The Sanguisorba officinalis 'Pink Tanna' is a lovely variety of great burnet with bright pink flowers. It is a vigorous and floriferous perennial, displaying short and fluffy spikes in the middle of summer, composed of tiny pink flowers, which stand above an elegant and finely cut foliage. Its vigorous stump is very hardy, even in heavy waterlogged soils in winter. It will provide a vertical and colourful touch to sunny borders, with not too dry soil. This plant will find its place in a countryside atmosphere or by a water feature, where it will easily naturalize.

The Sanguisorba officinalis is a botanical species widespread throughout the entire temperate northern hemisphere. This plant belongs to the large rosaceae family. The 'Pink Tanna' cultivar is an herbaceous and rhizomatous perennial plant, non-invasive, growing from a vigorous stump. It forms a tuft of 50 to 70 cm (20 to 28in) in flowering height, 60 cm (24in) in width, with rapid growth. It slowly spreads to form beautiful small hedges. In July-August, tall spikes emerge from the foliage, carrying upright, short, compact, ovoid-shaped spikes, 2 to 3 cm (1in) long. They are adorned with small fluffy flowers, initially purple-pink, becoming bright pink when fully open. The faded inflorescences remain decorative for a long time. This flowering clearly overlooks a finely cut foliage, with a bright green colour. The basal leaves, 20 to 50 cm (8 to 20in) long, are divided into 7 to 25 leaflets, oblong, elliptical and regularly toothed. The leaves of the stems, smaller and upright, are often tinged with red.

The Sanguisorba officinalis 'Pink Tanna' is a beautiful plant, very airy, and very easy to grow in ordinary but fresh soil, even limestone and clay. This plant thrives as much by the water's edge as in natural or countryside style borders. It has the advantage of withstanding wind, which allows it to be planted at the front of shrub borders or large perennial borders exposed to drafts. For a wild and refined effect, it can be planted en masse, associated with Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus 'Cosmopolitan' or Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose'. It will accompany the flowering of Salvia nemorosa 'Rose Queen', as well as the flowering of Asters, Polygonum orientale, Veronica 'Pink Damask'.