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Polygonaceae
Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate
Persicaria orientalis
Old-fashioned romance.
- Family
- Polygonaceae
- Genus
- Persicaria
- Native to
- China, Southeast Asia, India, Australia
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- annual herb
- Height
- 4-8 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- moist, rich, any type
- Water
- moderate to high
- Hardiness
- 2-11
- Lifespan
- annual
Did you know
- Thomas Jefferson grew this plant at Monticello, and it was one of the most popular cottage garden flowers in colonial America.
- The romantic common name refers to the tall, nodding flower spikes that arch over garden fences, inviting a kiss from passersby.
- Despite being an annual, it can grow up to 8 feet tall in a single growing season, creating an instant privacy screen.
- The drooping, caterpillar-like flower clusters can be up to a foot long and sway gracefully in the breeze.
- It readily self-seeds year after year, returning to the same garden spot, which is how it persisted in old homestead gardens for generations.
Color meanings
0
sentimental love
1
nostalgia