Persicaria affinis
Persicaria affinis
Lesser Knotweed

Persicaria affinis  is a tough, mat-forming perennial native to the mountains of Tibet. It forms a tidy evergreen carpet of small green leaves, with short spikes of pale pink to crimson flowers appearing from summer to fall. It is an excellent pollinator plant attracting bees and many other small pollinators. It is also known as Polygonum affinis and Bistorta affinis.

  • Height: 15-30 cm (6-12 in)
  • Spread: 30-60 cm (12-24 in)
  • Cold Hardiness: Zone 4-9
  • Sun or Shade: sun to partial shade
  • Bloom Time: early to late summer
  • Leaf Colour: green
  • Bloom Colour: shades of pink
  • Critter Resistance: deer
  • Nature Attraction: bees and butterflies

Growing and Maintenance Tips

Persicaria grows best in well drained fertile soil but will tolerate a broad range of soil conditions as long as it is not wet in the winter. It can be planted en mass under trees or used as a carpet along gravel path edges, where it will thrive in full sun to part shade. It is evergreen but will benefit from a spring tidy up of spent flower stems. It spreads but it is shallow rooted and easy to remove if it outgrows its boundaries.

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