Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red'
Persicaria affinis 'Darjeeling Red' ·
A mat of narrow leaves that turn bronze-red in winter, with small, upright pokers that open pink and deepen to crimson.
- Size
- 10 in tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 8
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Mid July to early October
- Pets
- Not checked
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
A bed built around Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red'
The planner designed this bed around Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' × 8, pink
- 2 Blue moor grass × 5, purple
- 3 Siberian iris 'Caesar's Brother' × 3, purple
- 4 Joe Pye weed 'Little Joe' × 4, pink
- 5 Globe arborvitae 'Danica' × 1, green leaves
- 6 Camassia × 4, blue
Why this plant
- The only medium leaves here. The rest are fine and bold. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
Why here
- On the front edge. At 10 in it frames the bed without hiding it, and it is in leaf all season. It finishes 67% of the edge.
- 8 plants in 3 runs (3, 3 and 2). Runs of different lengths make the edge a frame, not a ruled line.
Why now
- In flower for 13 weeks. From mid July to early October.
- Closes the season. For its last four weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as a cottage garden: 21 of the 21 plants (100%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' is planted in three places along the bed, which gives it rhythm. Siberian iris 'Caesar's Brother', fine in leaf, stands next to bold-leaved Joe Pye weed 'Little Joe', and each shows the other off.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 3 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' goes in a border
At 10 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is low (6 to 12 in).
Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
A groundcover with flowers from July to October, and the spent pokers stay a warm brown through winter. It needs moisture and room to creep.
- Flowering groundcover
- The edge of a moist border
- Autumn and winter colour
What to plant with Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Siberian iris: flowers first, late May to late June, so the spot is never empty; tall enough (2½ ft) to stand behind it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Lady's mantle: flowers first, late May to early July, so the spot is never empty; a low mound at the foot of its spires; tall enough (18 in) to stand behind it.
- Tufted hair grass: in flower together for seven weeks, from mid July; a low mound at the foot of its spires; tall enough (3 ft) to stand behind it.
Questions about Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red'
Does Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' need sun or shade?
Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers mid July to early October. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 3 | Mid July to early October |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Mid July to early October |
| Zone 5 | Mid July to early October |
| Zone 6 | Mid July to early October |
| Zone 7 | Early July to early October |
| Zone 8 | Early July to early October |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 10 in (25 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.
In the bed above, the planner used eight in three groups.
Is there a native plant like Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red'?
Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Creeping phlox: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 4 in shorter, flowers mid April to mid May.
- Woodland strawberry: the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, flowers early May to late August.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Will Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by creeping, rooting stems into a wide mat. Easy to cut back.
What flowers after Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red'?
Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' is over by early October. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Japanese onion 'Ozawa': from early October to early November, 10 in tall.
- Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink': from late September to early November, 2½ ft tall.
- Tatarian aster 'Jindai': from early October to early November, 4 ft tall.
What does Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' look like in winter?
Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
More Persicaria
- Bistort 'Superba' Persicaria bistorta 'Superba'
- Giant fleeceflower Persicaria polymorpha
- Mountain fleece 'Firetail' Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail'
- Mountain fleece 'Golden Arrow' Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Golden Arrow'
In these guides
- Low plants for the front of a border
- Groundcover plants
- Plants with spires: vertical accents
- Long-flowering plants: 12 weeks or more
- Plants with purple and burgundy leaves
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial (groundcover)
- Size
- 10 in (25 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Low (6 to 12 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid July to early October; upright spires; pink, red
- Leaves
- Medium texture, semi-evergreen; green, bronze
- Shape
- Mat-forming, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 8
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.