Overview

Decodon verticillatus is a shrub in the genus Decodon, part of the Lythraceae family. Decodon verticillatus grows best in full sun and partial shade, and tolerates most soils and acidic pH. Suggested uses include wetland restoration and pond margins. It is native to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.

About

Decodon verticillatus is a clump-forming wetland shrub with arching stems that can root where they touch soft mud. It bears rose-pink flowers along the stems and flowers from July to September. Native to eastern Canadian provinces, it occupies swampy ground and shallow water. It is used where standing wet, acidic soils need perennial woody cover.

Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Decodon verticillatus

In the garden

Decodon verticillatus is a woody, clump-forming shrub native to parts of eastern Canada, including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. In the wild it grows in swamps and at the margins of shallow water, where its arching stems sometimes root at the tips and help it spread along soft banks. Plant it at pond edges or in wetland-restoration schemes on consistently wet, acidic, organic soils; it accepts full sun and partial shade. Keep the root zone saturated and use a deep, organic substrate rather than free-draining mixes. Propagation by layering is straightforward where stems contact the mud, and raised planting in containers that retain moisture will suit small-scale water gardens. Flowers appear from July to September and have a rose-pink tone that suits naturalistic planting alongside reeds and rushes. Its tendency to form clumps and to root from arching tips makes it particularly useful for stabilising soft banks and extending cover along shallow margins in conservation and pond-margin planting.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Decodon

Sunlight

full sun, partial shade

Soil type

wet, acidic, organic

Soil pH

acidic

Soil moisture

wet

Plant details

Decodon verticillatus size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

shrub

Suggested uses

wetland restoration, pond margins

Native to

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Decodon verticillatus

Propagation

seed,cuttings

Frequently asked questions