Sometimes a plant that has for many years been overlooked begins to get the attention it deserves. And that’s what’s happening now to sanguisorba.
For many years garden-worthy members of the great burnet family were thought of as chorus line players, not stars in their own right, but then something changed and they began to be seen in anew light.
For sanguisorba that renaissance began with the popularity of grasses. Gardeners began to seek out plants that would work with carex or calimagrostis and in sanguisorbas they found the perfect companions.
Here were plants that were tough as old boots, could cope with sunshine or dappled shade, revelled in moist soil but would still perform in drier conditions. And best of all they had an airy, see-through quality that worked in contemporary prairie schemes as well as in traditional herbaceous borders.
Nobody knows sanguisorbas better than Gavin McNaughton. He holds a National Collection of these useful and beautiful plants and through his nursery, Macplants in EastLothian, he sells many different varieties.
He is also involved into atrial into sanguisorbas currently being undertaken by the Royal Horticultural Society, which aims to assess different varieties for performance and suitability as garden plants.
“Over the last decade many new sanguisorbas have been bred and it could bet hats ome of these turnout to be better than varieties that are currently available.”
The trial started in 2017and last year’s long, hot summer proved to be a real test for the plants but that, says Gavin, is the point of conducting lengthy research.
“We assess the plants many times, aiming to see how they perform under different conditions.”
According to Gavin, sanguisorbas can be divided into three groups -those that form bobble-like flowers; tall and upright varieties and those with pendant flowers.
Most will readily self-seed and rubbing off the stamens when the flowers turn brown will reveal the attractive seedheads that can be left to make a statement throughout the winter months.
HOW TO GROW
With heights varying from 30cm to 180cm, there are sanguisorbas for front and back of the border. Most have strong flowering stems that hold up well throughout the season, though some do flop a bit. They are tough and easy to grow in most soil types, preferring a moist but well-drained site in sun or part shade. Cut the plants back to the base in autumn -later if you want to have some architectural interest over the winter-and propagate by division in spring.
BEST OF THE BURNETS
Want to grow sanguisorbas in your garden? Here are Gavin McNaughton’s pick of the best plants.
1. Sanguisorba ‘Red Thunder’
This makes attractive clumps of divided leaves with erect spikes of red flowers from June until September. H120cm.
2. Sanguisorba ‘Pink Elephant’
A robust perennial with self-supporting spikes of pinkish-red, usually nodding, flowerheads that open from the top down from July until September. H180cm
3. Sanguisorba ‘Morning Select’
This new selection makes low clump of fresh green leaves and wiry stem stopped with bobble-like red flowers in late summer.H80cm.
4. Sanguisorba Obtusa
A Japanese species with, perhaps has the finest foliage of all. Each grey-green leaf has a finely edged rim of deep pink. The fluffy flowers are strong rose pink and droop as they mature. It flowers from July until August.H120cm.
5. Sanguisorba ‘Blackthorn’
Long, upright stems of pinky-red flowers appear from August until October. H120cm.
6. Sanguisorba Canadensis
Erect spikes of white, bottlebrush-like flowers are borne in profusion over a robust clump of attractive, pinnate foliage. Aug-Sep. H100cm.
7. Sanguisorba tenuifolia var. alba ‘Korean Snow’
A tall, erect plant with lovely spikes of white flowers that appear from August to October above clumps of deeply deeply divided, darkgreen. H150cm
8. Sanguisorba hakusanensis ‘Lilac Squirrel’
A choice perennial forming robust clumps of blue-green foliage with long, graceful, hanging, dark pink flowers between Jul and August.H75cm.
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