About
Bistorta affinis 'Darjeeling Red' is a semi-evergreen perennial that reaches a height of up to 25cm. It develops a dense mat of lance-shaped foliage that can grow to 15cm in length, often displaying a reddish hue in the autumn months. During the summer, it produces compact flower spikes that start as pink and mature to a deep red.
About the genus
This genus consists of herbaceous perennials that grow from rhizomes, featuring upright, unbranched stems. At the top of these stems are short spikes adorned with small, bell-shaped flowers that can be white or pink in color.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Poorly-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, East-facing, North-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Alpine Rockery, Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Matforming
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, Rock garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Prefers moisture retentive soil in sun or part shade but may spread quickly in wet soil. It is tolerant of dry and light soils in sun or shade where it will spread more gradually See
- Pruning
- No pruning required but remove spent flowers if necessary and comb out old leaves
- Propagation
- Propagate by division in spring or autumn, or stem-tip cuttings of non flowering shoots
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free