Sanguisorba hakusanensis

Sanguisorba hakusanensis is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful botanical burnets. It is a rare and truly graceful perennial plant, which forms a beautiful rounded and neat clump, with long pinnate foliage. The fresh green colour of the leaves highlights a frothy flowering in the form of trailing pinkish-blue catkins fading into a lovely lilac tone. A beautiful species to display in the centre of a flower bed. Very hardy, it appreciates moist and light soils, without too much limestone, and a sunny to semi-shaded exposure.

Sanguisorba hakusanensis is a rhizomatous perennial belonging to the vast Rosaceae family. It is native to Japan (Haku Island) and Korea, where it naturally grows at high altitudes. It is an herbaceous and rhizomatous perennial plant, reaching a height and spread of 60cm (24in). The flowering takes place from July to September, in the form of four-petalled flowers of a rather vivid pinkish-bluish colour, grouped in trailing spikes measuring 5 to 10cm (2 to 4in) long. The gracefully arched flowers have a frothy appearance. Each floral stem has several buds that will elongate into pink catkins. Only the lower half of the spike has bisexual flowers. The particularly long leaves measure 20 to 30cm (8 to 12in). They are deciduous, odd-pinnate, and alternate, composed of petiolate and dentate leaflets. The colour of the foliage is a soft, fresh green, and its somewhat exotic appearance evokes ferns or a compact Melianthus major. 

It deserves a prominent place in sunny flower beds or borders. The flowers can be used in bouquets. Plant it alone or in groups of 3, in the company of wormwood (Artemisia lactiflora), Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', pink echinaceas, Thalictrum delavayi var. decorum, and paniculate phlox. Its foliage will be highlighted by spring bulbs that naturalise well, such as multiflorous tulips, small-flowered narcissus, or Fritillaria meleagris.

Etymology of Sanguisorba: the name comes from the Latin word SANGUIS, which means blood, and SORBERE, which means to absorb, directly related to the haemostatic properties (which stop bleeding) of the roots used in herbal medicine.