Polygonum polystachyum
| Polygonum polystachyum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 6' |
| Width: | 5' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Polygonum polystachyum (common name: himalayan knotweed)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually free and easy. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have reached sufficient size. If not, overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out the following spring after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation: Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[1] but prefers a moisture retentive not too fertile soil in sun or part shade[2]. Repays generous treatment[1].
A vigorously spreading plant, it is only really suitable for large areas of ground[3].
Plants are easily mistaken for P. campanulatum[4].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[3].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas. Occasionally naturalized in Britain, it is common in S.W. England[5].
Habitat: Forests, shrubberies and open slopes, often gregarious, 2000 - 4000 metres from Afghanistan to S.W. China[4].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked[4].
Seed - raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Usage: Plants are very vigorous and can be grown for ground cover, succeeding even on the verges of streams[6]. They are best spaced about 1.2 metres apart each way[6].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been made for this species, there have been reports that some members of this genus can cause photosensitivity in susceptible people._x005F
Many species also contain oxalic acid (the distinctive lemony flavour of sorrel) - whil
Also Known As: Persicaria polystachya. (Wallich.)Gross.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.