Japanese name: ペルシカリア アンプレクシカウリス Scientific name:Persicaria amplexicaulis
[Overview]
A perennial 0.4–1 m in both height and spread.
It spreads by extending rhizomes.
The stems branch.
The leaves are simple and alternate; those on the lower part of the stem are ovate to oblong, 4–10 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, with a sharply pointed tip, a heart-shaped base and a petiole.
The leaf margins are wavy and entire.
The leaves on the upper part of the stem are narrowly ovate and small, and the uppermost leaves clasp the stem.
The ocrea is membranous.
Slender spike-like inflorescences about 10 cm long arise at the stem tips and from the leaf axils, bearing many flowers.
The flowers have no corolla, and the red calyx is conspicuous.
The fruit is an achene, three-angled, glossy and dark brown.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by division.
It prefers a sunny, airy, well-drained site with slightly moist soil.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless sunny weather continues and the soil dries out.
Slow-release fertilizer applied as a base fertilizer is enough.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
