Fleeceflower’s spiky blooms offer texture, colour and height to garden beds and borders.Getty Images/iStockphoto
Fleeceflower (Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail')
WHY YOU SHOULD PLANT IT
If you want or need some colour for the rest of the summer, this is the plant to get. It's got a wonderful clumping form and sprouts brilliantly hued 10-centimetre spikes over deep green leaves to give a satisfying boost to any border.
WHERE TO PLANT IT
Full sun seems the right spot, but it will also take some shade. Make sure it has good drainage and relatively moist soil. Give it a thick mulch to keep weeds out.
WHAT IT OFFERS
The blooms attract butterflies. If it's planted in the right spot, it will grow to be a metre high. And while it'll spread about 45 centimetres, it's not invasive. It can also be divided in autumn.
SOURCE AND COST
Not every nursery has this plant, so grab it when you see it. I spotted it at Plant World in Toronto (www.plantworld.net) for $12.