Red bistort: location, care & the most beautiful varieties

With its extremely decorative flowers and wide varieties, the red bistort plant has become an increasingly popular perennial, which is also quite undemanding.

Red bistort (Persicaria amplexicaulis) is a real asset in the garden because it does not require extensive care and is generally very hardy. In addition, it boasts long-lasting flowering and rapid growth. In combination with other plants, particularly attractive plantings can be created.

Red bistort: origin and characteristics

Persicaria amplexicaulis belongs to the knotweed family (Polygonaceae) and is also known by the synonyms Bistorta amplexicaulis and Polygonum amplexicaule based on recent taxonomic findings. The natural occurrence of red bistort is in the Himalayan region and extends from Afghanistan to China. There it prefers to grow in fresh to moist herbaceous meadows as well as on the edges of woodlands in sunny to shady locations.

The deciduous perennial forms bushy clumps with a height of 100 to 120 cm. It spreads gradually through short stolons. Between the densely growing, green foliage, the flower stems reach up, at the tips of which are the candle-shaped flower panicles. They are white, pink, or red in colour depending on the variety. The flowering splendour of the perennial can be admired for a surprisingly long time – from mid-July to the end of October. The leaves of the red bistort are about 5 to 15 cm long and grow around the stem, which is why it forms a heart-like shape. This perennial, hardy plant is winterproof and therefore does not require special treatment in the cold season.

Is red bistort plant bee friendly? Red bistort is a very good nectar and pollen plant, providing a food source for insects such as bees and butterflies. Depending on the variety, this characteristic is more or less pronounced.

The most beautiful varieties of red bistort for your garden

The most striking distinguishing feature among the varieties of red bistort is usually the colour of the flower.

• Persicaria amplexicaulis ˈAlbaˈ: this bee-friendly variety impresses with its elegant white flowers from August to October. It grows 100-120 cm tall and is also suitable as a cut flower.

• Persicaria amplexicaulis ˈFiretailˈ: this variety reaches a stately height of 120 – 140 cm and blooms in bright pink from July to October. Insects also enjoy it.
• Persicaria amplexicaulis ˈSaraˈ: this richly flowering variety boasts excellent health and stability. It bears striking, purple-pink flowers from July to October and grows to a height of 100 – 130 cm. It is also suitable as an insect pasture.
• Persicaria amplexicaulis ˈTaurusˈ: the flowering red bistort also known as the mountain fleece, is somewhat lower in height, growing to 80 to 100 cm. Its intense dark red flowers also adorn the perennial from July to October. This variety can also often be found in an ornamental red autumn colour.

• Persicaria amplexicaulis ˈOrange fieldˈ: the unusual flower colour makes this variety particularly interesting. It is a real eye-catcher with its salmon pink hue. It reaches a height of 70-90 cm and blooms profusely.

Tip: a related and popular species is the common bistort (Persicaria bistorta), also known as snake bistort. It is well suited for sunny and moist locations such as water edges. For example, one popular variety is ˈSuperbaˈ.

Planting red bistort

The perennial grows best in the locations mentioned below, but it also thrives quite well in other places. Here you can learn more about the most suitable location and receive tips on planting.

Tip: Red bistort grows somewhat rampantly with its rhizomes and can also propagate by self-seeding, but it usually does not become a nuisance as a result and is still easy to tame. One advantage of this growth is that weeds are effectively suppressed.

Location and procedure

Persicaria amplexicaulis is best planted in loosened, fresh to moist loamy soils in sunny to shady and wind-protected locations. A nutrient-rich, humus-rich, and deep loamy soil is best. The red bistort feels especially at home along woodland edges, but also on the banks of water, and fits perfectly in perennial borders and beds of magnificent perennials.

To improve the soil of a very sandy, poor soil, plenty of mature compost or high-quality humus-rich soil can be mixed in. Only in very compacted soils should some sand or grit be worked in, because even in stagnant moisture the red bistort can grow well.

A good time for planting the perennial is either in spring, in mid-May, or in autumn, around September time. If several specimens are combined in a group planting, a distance of about 50 cm should be maintained. It is not advised to plant more than three perennials in a square meter space, as the individual plants will continue to spread over time.

Combining red bistort: good planting partners

A good planting combination with the red bistort includes the harmonising flowering of the Chinese anemone (Anemone hupehensis). However, aster (aster), phlox (phlox), and baneberry Atropurpurea Group (Actaea simplex) also make good planting partners. Interesting combinations can be created with ornamental grasses. On the other hand, you should generally avoid smaller plant neighbours with red bistort, as they would die within a short time due to lack of light and space.

How to care for, prune and fertilise red bistort

As already mentioned, no complex care measures are necessary when caring for the red bistort. To give your perennial, the best possible conditions for healthy growth, we explain some tips below.

Watering red bistort

Freshly planted specimens of red bistort should not be exposed to prolonged periods of drought, so it is better to keep the soil around it very moist. However, well-established perennials can cope with occasional dry periods. Persistent waterlogging can damage the red bistort – in particular, if the soil is too wet in winter, there is a risk that the rhizomes of the plant will rot due to fungal infestation.

Fertilising

The perennial does not depend on regular applications of fertiliser in good soil, but will benefit if mature compost or a flower fertiliser granule such as our Plantura Flower Food is worked into the substrate in spring. This adds important nutrients back into the soil and promotes soil life.

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Pruning red bistort

By pruning halfway up, the effects of strong winds or rainfall can be offset, and the pant will sprout compactly again within a short time. This measure can also aid in renewed flowering, in some cases.

Overwintering

For overwintering, the withered foliage can simply be left on the ground, giving the rhizomes additional protection from colder temperatures. In particularly wet and cool regions, the perennial can be covered with brushwood.

Propagating red bistort

Due to the already mentioned self-seeding, red bistort reliably propagates in the autumn. Several seedlings can then be found the following spring around the perennial, which can be easily removed or simply transplanted in the event of unwanted reproduction.

The best way to propagate the red bistort yourself, is to divide the perennial, which should be done every three to four years anyway, to rejuvenate the plant. To do this, dig up the red bistort in the spring, just before budding, and shake off a little soil from the roots. Next, separate the parts of the plant which have already developed a good root system. All individual parts are now reinserted in the desired position and watered well.

Is red bistort poisonous?

Basically, the red bistort is not a plant intended for consumption. But red bistort, as well as other species of knotweed, do not contain toxins and therefore do not pose a threat to humans and animals. However, it should be noted that the plants may contain more or less high levels of oxalic acid, which at high concentrations can cause adverse health problems. Children, pregnant women, and people with chronic diseases should not consume any of the plant parts. Cats should also not eat from the plant, because their bodies cannot break down the oxalic acid. However, damage only occurs when larger quantities are consumed.