Persicaria polymorpha

[Stephen Vella]

I was amazed when I saw this Persicaria in the UK and is never to be seen in Australia. Its not weedly like some and would be greatful if anyone has seeds to spare?..please!

cheers
Stephen

[Lesley Cox]

It was available some years ago from a N. Island mail order nursery which then closed and opened instead, a local retail shop. I've never seen it available since. I didn't get it when the very short opportunity arose.

[Stephen Vella]

Hi Lesley,

Bummer! but on a positive note it sounds like it made its way to the southern hemisphere. I wonder if any Aussies or New Zealanders grow it??
cheers

[daveyp1970]

Stephen can i point you to the last entry on this page there are alarms about this plant.http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2203/#b

[Stephen Vella]

The genus may have a reputation as being weedy but I have never seen it over run herbaceous borders in the U.k. thanks for the note.

[Lori S.]

Stephen can i point you to the last entry on this page there are alarms about this plant.http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2203/#b

I look at Dave's Garden frequently, and I have to say that information there is not of the highest quality.  I have found many comments there to be based on misidentifications, or gross assumptions without actual experience.  (I do try to get some of the worst of these corrected when I notice them!)  The first comment there says it's an invasive pest in the Catskills, however the species is not even noted to occur in New York State, according to USDA Plants, which is usually an accurate source.  Note that the second person said he/she got rid of P. polymorpha not because it was weedy or invasive, but because other Persicaria can be.

Anyway, I've grown it for many years and have seen no sign of invasiveness... nor have I read of it being invasive by anyone who's actually grown it. 
I can send you seeds if you like, Stephen.

[johnw]

Lroi - I have to agree, I find Dave's Garden entirely useless. It often appears as one of the first sites when googling and then you find no information there. When there is information it seems to be copied from another plant.

I wonder if the invasive they speak of is in fact the Polygonum, Japanese knotweed.

Our local society hosted Stefan Mattson on several occassions. He is noted for his superb perennial gardens in Enkoping, Sweden. The Persicaria is one of his staples.  It certainly is no slouch but invasive it isn't.

johnw - 71mm overnight and still pouring a sea.

[annew]

I grew it for several years, and it is a very good plant and remained in a tight clump, making 2m of growth upwards each year. It also stood up to my very windy conditions very well. I found that almost all of the seed was not fertile, and never managed to raise it from seeds. Alas, I finally dug it out this year as I needed the space for something else.

[Stephen Vella]

Thanks Lori,

and John Persicaria can be confused with Polygonum. I have a few Persicarias and they are brillant for summer/autumn borders.

Anne it must be common as 

cheers

[Lesley Cox]

I've never met John Persicaria. Is he Italian? 

[Lori S.]

I wonder if the invasive they speak of is in fact the Polygonum, Japanese knotweed.
johnw - 71mm overnight and still pouring a sea.

I suspect you are right, John. 
USDA Plants tracks both native and introduced species, and from it, it appears that Persicaria polymorpha is not known to have established a naturalized population anywhere in the wild in North America... certainly a good sign.

[Hoy]

and John Persicaria can be confused with Polygonum.

I've never met John Persicaria. Is he Italian? 

I wonder who the other guy is. Do they lookalike or maybe both use sunglasses

[Rick R.]

I also grew Persicaria polymorpha for many years with the same non-spreading, non-seeding results as others here.  It just got too big for my space.

And I, too, agree that Daves Garden Plant Files is fairly useless for accuracy, unless you are familiar with the expertise of the individual contributing member.  Being a member there for many years, I find that many participants are overly eager to contribute, resulting in questionable identifications. 

That said, I'd bet money that the many entries in the Daves Garden Plant Files by altagardener (Lori Skulski) are spot on.

[Lesley Cox]

and John Persicaria can be confused with Polygonum.

I've never met John Persicaria. Is he Italian? 

I wonder who the other guy is. Do they lookalike or maybe both use sunglasses

[Lori S.]

Errr, rest assured that I earn my fair share of corrections too, Rick!