Persicaria amplexicaulis Dikke Floskes - Mountain Fleece

The Persicaria amplexicaulis Dikke Floskes is a variety of knotweed recently selected in Belgium by landscape architect Chris Ghyselen, for the beauty of its flower spikes, particularly thick and beautifully coloured in a dark pink shading to a muted red. This beautiful perennial offers a long flowering period from summer to autumn. Very hardy, it forms a vigorous clump, both tall and dense, with foliage that turns red in autumn before disappearing. It is a robust plant, not very demanding regarding the soil type, as long as it is moist, fertile and well-drained, to be placed in full sun or partial shade in flower beds or near water features.

The Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Dikke Floskes' is a plant of the family Polygonaceae. It is a perennial, more or less evergreen in winter depending on the climate, which quickly forms a clump 1.10m (4ft) high. This plant spreads more or less slowly, depending on the soil fertility, and can form imposing clumps. Very floriferous, this knotweed produces numerous spikes, 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4in) long and 2 to 3 cm (1in) wide, composed of small flowers that are dark red when in bud and become slightly pinker when they open. The flowering is continuous from July to October, if the soil does not dry out too much. The leaves, borne on sturdy stems, are lanceolate to cordate in shape, measuring 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10in) long, and are clasping at the base. They are medium to dark green in colour, hairy on the underside, and turn red in autumn.

Very trendy, this knotweed with its highly decorative flowering fits well in both contemporary gardens and more wild settings, and creates stunning autumn scenes when paired with grasses. Thanks to its spreading habit, it can be used as a ground cover, provided it is given enough space. This knotweed enjoys both sun and partial shade. It thrives in rich, heavy, and moist or even very wet soils, and can be cultivated independently on sunny pond banks or in cool, partially shaded woodland areas at the base of trees.