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Kiss me over the garden gate

Annual Flower

Also known as Prince's feather, Princess feather, Oriental Persicary
Persicaria orientalis
Polygonaceae Family
Synonym: Polygonum orientale, Persicaria orientale

An old cottage garden favorite, this tall, self-seeding annual has white- to rose-colored, bell-shaped flowers borne on pendant spikes from midsummer to frost. As the name implies, it looks great against a white picket fence.

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Site and Plant Characteristics
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Growing Information
Site Characteristics
Sunlight:
  • full sun
  • part shade

Soil conditions:

  • tolerates low fertility
Prefers moist but not too fertile soil.
Plant Traits

Lifecycle: annual

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 4 to 7 feet

Spread: 2 to 4 feet

Bloom time:

  • early summer
  • mid-summer
  • late summer
  • early fall

Flower color:

  • red
  • white
  • pink

Flowers vary from rose to white.

Foliage color: medium green

Foliage texture: medium

Shape: upright

Shape in flower: same as above
Special Considerations
Special characteristics:
  • aggressive - Readily self-sows.
  • non-invasive - May naturalize in some areas. Considered invasive in parts of the Southeast.
  • not native to North America - Native to China.
Special uses:
  • direct-seeding
Growing Information
How to plant:

Propagate by seed - Seed requires cold treatment to germinate. Store seed in an unheated building overwinter or refirgerate before sowing.

Readily self sows. Small seedlings transplant easily. Can start seeds in cold frame and transplant after danger of frost has passed, but transplanting larger seedlings can be difficult.

Maintenance and care:
Do not fertilize. Prefers soils with modest fertility.

More growing information: How to Grow Annuals

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