Persicaria capitata
also known as Pink bubble persicaria
(and some know it as Japanese Knotweed, but not that knotweed!)
This Himalayan perennial is (for me, surprisingly) not very hardy, but manages to return year after year by self-seeding. Originally bought as a summer plant for a pot, it can now be found in the crevices of our stone steps, or at the edges of the flower beds. Even after a very cold winter the seeds germinate… I tried saving seed from one plant and scattering it in the rockery, but it is choosy and only grows where IT wants!
As ground cover, a very useful plant. It tolerates drought and harsh sun. The foliage is pinkish brown, and the little pink bubblegum flowers only grow to about 10cm high. The flowers appear from August onwards, and the colour of both flower and foliage intensifies later in the year.
Beware – if you have a mild climate with little frost, this could become a thug! (But a pretty one!) 😉
Words and Herbs 
I take it zone 9 is out of the question…sigh
You can grow it as an annual, which is how it is sold here, and it might seed itself. We had 23°C below zero last winter and it still popped up again!
I did try this but it didn’t like my garden or the spots I put it in..nice to see it in bloom as it never made it through one winter to bloom. Love the foliage
It is one of those plants that chooses where it wants to grow! 😉
Very delicate! Love how you zoom in for us…
Hi Melody! It’s amazingly stubborn too!
Funny how some are like that – just like humans! 🙂
LOL!
Quite pretty–never seen this before.
I found the original plant on our market years ago… have never seen it in a garden centre though, perhaps because it doesn’t come up every year reliably.
I love this plant
Glad you like it Eunice. Have a nice Sunday!
you too hope it has been a great day
I haven’t come across this plant before, but it looks like it would be worth growing just for the beautifully marked leaves.
I agree. They are just as pretty as the flowers.
It’s so beautiful Cathy, and I also haven’t seen it before
I think I was lucky to find it… it was on a market stall a few years ago, and I haven’t seen one anywhere since.
Lovely plant and one I’d love to grow but in our mild climate it would reveal its thuggish genes. So I will admire it from a distance.
Probably wise! It hasn’t spread in my garden too much, but is related to Japanese knotweed!
That looks like one of those plants I have a soft spot for and I let it take over until it is too late. It is pretty though. Reminds me of little flowers that grow on the coast in the sand.
I’m like that too – there are a couple of thugs in my garden that I spend ages pulling up every year… but they are nice! (Mint is one of them!)
This is so pretty. I would love to have this one around. We do have the thug out back, but not close to the house.
Some plants just need a little extra space… 😉
I’m not familiar with this one, but wow, is it ever pretty! Amazing foliage colour and the cutest blooms! Love it!
It gets pinker as the autumn nights get cooler. The flowers then blend in to the foliage, but I think the leaves are its best feature anyway!
Just saw this planted at the Orlando FL Agricultural center and the honey bees were loving it! I’m in zone 9b and will be trying it along my driveway to add more honey bee loving plants in my grove. thank you for the informational site!
Glad you like it so much! Mine barely showed up this year, but I know I can rely on it to appear in the most unsuitable area…. this year directly under my outdoor tap! Hope yours is a success!