Sanguisorba tenuifolia var. purpurea

Sanguisorba tenuifolia var. purpurea is a tall burnet, of rare elegance. It is a vigorous and floriferous perennial, displaying graceful trailing spikes of purplish flowers in the heart of summer, above a magnificent fine and feathery green-blue foliage. Its vigorous stump is very hardy in well-drained soil, but it dislikes heavy waterlogged soils in winter. It will provide a vertical touch to sunny borders, while gracefully bending in the wind.

Sanguisorba tenuifolia is a plant native to Japan, China, and Mongolia, belonging to the Rosaceae family. The purpurea variety is a herbaceous and rhizomatous perennial, non-invasive, developing from a vigorous stump. It forms a clump of 1.5 m (5ft) in height when in flower, 50cm (20in) in width, with rapid growth. It slowly spreads to form beautiful small hedges. In August-September, large flower spikes emerge from the foliage, initially vertical and then trailing at their ends, bearing small cylindrical dark purple flower spikes, 4 to 6cm (2in) long. The faded inflorescences remain decorative for a long time. This flowering gracefully cascades above very finely cut green-blue foliage, on which raindrops form pearls. The leaves are divided into 11 to 19 oblong and regularly dentate leaflets.

Sanguisorba tenuifolia var. purpurea is a beautiful plant, very airy, probably one of the most beautiful burnets. It thrives by the water's edge, in well-drained soil. It has the advantage of withstanding the wind well, allowing it to be planted at the front of shrub borders or large perennials exposed to drafts. For a wild and refined effect, it can be paired with Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus 'Cosmopolitan' or the variety M. s. 'Silberfeder'. It will delicately accompany the flowering of Japanese anemones, asters, Polygonum orientale, Veronicastrum...