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persicaria bistorta superba

Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
in Plants
In March I bought some plants from Ballyrobert.
Despite being well packed all 7 of the pots were broken and the persicaria was just a sort of bulb rolling around in the bottom of the box with a couple of tiny leaves.
I planted it up and 5 months on it looks like this-


I was expecting more by now.
It's been in a sunny cold frame since March
Any ideas as to why it's not happy?
Thanks

Billericay - Essex

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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Posts

  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295
    Hi @Pete.8,

    I grow this and it's a real thug .... so I grow it in large bottomless pots buried in a border. It's in a sunny but damp spot which it likes ... a bit toomuch!

    I don't think the leaves look quite right for your plant .... the RHS says "strongly veined, finely pointed ovate leaves" ... almost like a young dock leaf.

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/61373/persicaria-bistorta-superba-/details

    Could it be something else?

    Bee x
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Thanks @Bee witched
    It's not a plant I'm familiar with so I don't know what it should look like.
    What arrived was about the size of a golf ball with some tiny leaves, so I potted it up in March and that's all it's done since then.

    I'll see if I get more responses and maybe send the pic to Ballyrobert and ask them.
    I've got quite a big area I wanted something to cover and I thought something a bit thuggish would fit the bill. What I've got doesn't even cover the pot! 😁


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited August 2022
    @Pete.8 Persicaria has a root it isn't a bulb so not sure what has happened here. I understand Ballyrobert to be a good on line company. I have also received plants purchased on line that have been thrown about, this plant should be fine as@Beewitched has said it is tough. However it doesn't look like you received it in the first place.  The leaves are often mistaken for dock when not in flower. There are so many wonderful Persicarias but you do need a retentive soil to grow them. I grow P Red Dragon  may of them flower for months and are good in a wild garden.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • izzy8izzy8 Posts: 147
    I'm fighting Persicaria suberba every year it's a real problem, your plant looks very different.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Thanks @GardenerSuze and @izzy8

    I've sent an email with pic to Ballyrobert.
    Will let you know their response.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    Agree with Bee witched .....leaves are wrong.
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Thanks @Silver surfer
    I sent Ballyrobert an email earlier and got this response - 

    Good afternoon Pete, 

    We are terribly sorry to hear your order hasn't travelled as well as expected. 

    Honestly I'm not sure what the plant is in your photo so we will happily send a replacement Persicaria under our one year guarantee. How's the Sanguisorba 'Tanna'? We would recommend planting out as soon as possible and hopefully they recover quickly. If for some reason they don't please let us know. 

    Hope this helps. 

    Kind regards,
    Lyndsey

    Can't ask for more than that.
    Great service!

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    *****  Mega impressed with service like that.
    Well done Ballyrobert!

    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Great News  you cannot ask for more.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Wjs57Wjs57 Posts: 35
    I think Ballyrobert is the best online plant company. The website is really informative and when I had trouble with a plant they were really prompt in sending a replacement too . Generally their plants are healthy and really well packed though .
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