From grandiloquent , towering variety to circularize groundcovers , these perennials offer beautiful downlike blooms .
Marty Baldwin
It ’s not hard to visualise out where fleece flower bugger off its name . In late summertime , this fast - growing works , which comprises both annuals and perennials in thePersicariagenus , get big spikes of beautiful , flossy flowers in pinkish , red , or white . The foliation featureslance - shaped leavesthat are often beautifully variegated . Succulent stems with conspicuous mile at the node give this plant its other common name , knotweed .
Credit:Marty Baldwin
Fleece flower is often one of the last plant life to emerge in leap . Give it plenty of time to bug out out of the ground before determining whether it made it through the wintertime . As soon as the fleeceable shoots emerge , fleece efflorescence will take off . Taller flora may call for to bestaked for support .
Where to Plant Fleece Flower
Almost any localisation in full sunlight is plot for fleece flower , as it conform well to unlike dirt type with mildly acidic , neutral or gently alkaline soil . location where the soil is naturally dampish , such as a pondside or any other waterside location are ideal .
The honest place to implant fleece peak count on the change . grandiloquent assortment are big for the back of a perimeter . average - tallness plant , which suit the middle of a border , look particularly striking in a passing cottage garden . Mat - forming groundcover species of fleece flower arewell - suit to rock gardensor for planting between stepping stones on a walkway .
Plant wool bloom as a specimen or in mathematical group in cultivate expanse where the pass around habit of plants is not an issue . The relatively common grain of the leaves forms an attractive contrast against garden plants with finer leaf .
Credit: Marty Baldwin
How and When to Plant Fleece Flower
Plant fleece fllower in the spring . Dig a hole about twice the diameter of the hatful and about the same depth . Place the plant in the pot and fill in original soil to the top of the stem orb . softly tamp down the soil and body of water it well . Keep the stain evenly moist for a few workweek until the industrial plant is established .
Space flora 3 to 5 feet aside , depending on the variety . Low - produce mixture for groundcover borders can be planted nearer together .
Mulch around the plants to preserve ground moisture .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Fleece Flower Care Tips
Fleece bloom take only basic maintenance .
Light
Fleece flower produce in partial shadiness andfull sunbut thrives in full sun .
Soil and Water
In terms of territory , it is quite adaptable to any eccentric of soil type andpH between 6.5 and 7.5 .
Fleece flower produce in average to lactating soil conditions . It flourish in moist condition but once instal , also tolerates some drouth .
Temperature and Humidity
These are furrowed plant that resist both cold winters and live and humid summer . Some varieties boast foliage that take on acute hues in uttermost heat or insensate . Fleece flower is tolerant of urban befoulment .
Fertilizer
Fleece flush is a smartly growing plant that usually does not need any fertilizer . If the grime is pitiable , scatter a 2 - inch level ofcompost or well - rotted manurearound the base of the plant in the spring as the unexampled growth starts .
Pruning
In the crepuscule after the leaf had buy the farm back , or in the spring before new growth starts , cut but back the honest-to-goodness stems . Be measured not to injure the crown when pruning .
Potting and Repotting Fleece Flower
For pots and containers , select a low - growing , spreading potpourri such as ‘ Red Dragon ’ rather than a tall , towering fleece flower . Either plant it alone in a jackpot at least 8 inches in diameter or , together with other plants in a larger planter , plant it near the bound so it can spill over the throne . utilise well - enfeeble potting premix and verify the pot has large drainage hole .
Keep in mind that potted plant life call for more frequent watering than plants in garden ground . Although fleece flower is winter - Oliver Hardy to Zone 4 , potted plant life want winterization because in moth-eaten climates , the root are not sufficiently insulated against the coldness . subside the sens into the ground in the gloam or create a planting silo by placing the pot in a larger pot and filling the outer space with mulch or sand .
Repotting should be done when the plant outgrows its locoweed or when the heart and soul dies out .
Credit: Marty Baldwin
transfer it to a larger spate , or part it and replant a part of it in a potful of the same sizing with fresh potting dirt .
Pests and Problems
Fleece efflorescence is unaffected by major pests or disease . The most unremarkably occurring pests areaphids , Japanese beetles , slugs , and snails . The plant is deer - tolerant .
How to Propagate Fleece Flower
The best path to propagate most fleece flower diversity is bydividing an survive industrial plant , which is advocate every 3 to 5 years as the essence dies out over time . In the saltation , just before young development starts , get the picture out the clump , cut it into smaller sections with a spade or a sharp tongue , and replant it at the same depth as the original industrial plant . Keep it water until you see new growth .
Native sheepskin flower species ( Persicaria virginiana , P. pensylvanica , P. amphibia , P. punctata ) are part from seed . The seeds need 60 days ofcold moist social stratification before planting themin can or garden soil in the other saltation .
Types of Fleece Flower
Giant Fleece Flower
Persicaria polymorphais also know asthe big blanched sheepskin blossom . It is exceptionally showy , growing 4 to 5 feet tall , and top with monumental , blank , fluffy flower clusters for 8 weeks or more in summer solstice . jumbo fleece bloom add together erect interest to the back of a moulding . It also makes a great focal - point flora . Zone 4 - 9
Woodland Knotweed
This species is native to the easterly and central parts of the United States . The 2 - foot base ofPersicaria virginianaemerges from a cluster of flowers at the base of the flora , with alternating white blossom along the base . Zone 4 - 8
Mountain Fleece
Also known as red bistort , Persicaria amplexicaulisis aboriginal to the Himalayas . It spring up 3 to 4 foundation tall and wide , bearing tiny flowers on narrow-minded , pencil - thin long stalks . The efflorescence period starts in September and stretches into the former summertime or nightfall , sometimes even until the first frost . You will most in all likelihood find it offered as cultivars . salmagundi with flower in different shades of loss let in ‘ Firetail ’ , ‘ Blackfield ' , ‘ Fat Domino ' , and ‘ Summer Dance ’ . ‘ Golden Arrow ’ is a compact cultivar with golden leaf and cardinal - red flowers and ‘ Alba ’ has livid flowers . Zone 4 - 7 or 4 - 9 depending on the cultivar
Persicaria bistorta ‘Superba’
Persicaria bistorta , ordinarily known as bistort , is native to Europe and western Asia . The cultivar ‘ Superba’has pink - lavender bottlebrush - like bloom in early on to mid - summertime and productive red fall foliage . Zone 3 - 7
Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’
If you have any concern of fleece bloom being incursive , consider this cultivar . It was engender to be sterile so it wo n’t reseed . However , it also does overspread sharply via its stolon like the species so it ’s right to place it where you may keep it incorporate . It farm 2 to 3 feet improbable and all-inclusive and bear lily-white blossom in the summertime . Zone 6 - 8
Fleece Flower Companion Plants
Joe Pye Weed
Reaching up to 8 foot in height , Joe Pye weedmakes a proficient companion plant for tall fleece flower varieties . The plants divvy up a penchant for consistent wet throughout the growing time of year . Hundreds of lilliputian yarn - like petal on the elephantine stalks of Joe Pye weed create clouds of blooms in belated summer and remain into fall . These blooms attract butterflies and other pollinators . Once the heyday begin to fade , the seeds will mature and puff up to contribute more late - season interestingness . zone 3 - 10
Goldenrod
Several type of goldenrod ( Solidagospp . ) are native to North America , and are powerhouses of late summer and descent color . They can get 4 - 5 metrical foot grandiloquent , so give these perennial stack of room . The golden flowers attract a myriad of pollinators ( and contrary to pop belief , are not the lawsuit of pollen allergies while in bloom ) . zona 3 - 9
Threadleaf Bluestar
With its fine greenish foliation , threadleaf bluestar ( Amsonia hubrichtii)stands out against fleece blossom as a background . This aboriginal perennial blow clusters of pale blue whizz - shaped flowers in bounce , okay greenish foliage through summertime , and smart as a whip sensationalistic - atomic number 79 fall color . Indigenous to Arkansas , Missouri , and Oklahoma where it acquire in meadows , this bluestar also attracts pollinator and offer the suitable feature of speech of deer resistance and low maintenance . Zones 5 - 9
Garden Plans for Fleece Flower
Island Flower Bed
To break up the monotony of a large lawn , stress thisisland seam garden planthat ’s easy to handle for and designed to face beautiful , no subject from where it ’s viewed . A pocket-sized ornamental plum tree diagram anchors the planting , create stunning pinkish - blanched double blossoms in spring , as well as reasonably fall foliage . A small decorative plum tree diagram anchors the planting and erennials and groundcover contribute seasonal splashes of color ,
Partial Shade Garden Plan
Though they may not bloom as profusely as they would in full sun , many Sunday - bonk plants will still do well if they are fill in during a part of the day . Thisgarden architectural plan for fond shadeuses a mix of these character of plant that can brighten area under trees and along paths with their colored flowers and foliage . The designing features easy - care , summer - bloom perennials such as daylilies , phlox , and hostas . To keep the color show going all season long , an raiment of yearbook such as coleus and petunias fills in the front of this beautiful border .
Frequently Asked Questions
Some fleece peak are invasive . The fleece flowers that you ’ll get in the greenhouse trade are not to be blur with the extremely invasive Japanese knotweed ( Polygonum cuspidatum ) and other highly invading members of thePersicariagenus , first and first of all the mile - a - mo vine ( Persicaria perfoliata ) and oriental noblewoman ’s ovolo ( Persicaria longiseta ) . When planting fleece peak , try out non - trespassing or native mixture . In general , named cultivar are not invasive and spread slowly .
There are both annual and perennial fleece flowers . All the variety listed above are perennials . A popular annual wool flower iskiss - me - over - the - garden - gate ( Persicaria orientalis ) , an quondam - fashioned cottage garden industrial plant .
Updated by Nadia Hassani
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Credit: Mavis Augustine Torke
