Most plants are a bit like bell-bottom jeans–one minute they’re the hottest fashion, and the next minute, you can’t give them away. In 2000, when Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’ hit the market, it was the hottest perennial in the country. You couldn’t visit a garden center or nursery that didn’t carry it.
Fast forward 23 years later, and good luck finding this Greg Speichert introduction. The first year Plant Delights offered this, we sold 644 plants. Within just a few years, that number had dropped to less than 2 dozen annually, which is below the level where the economics of propagation make sense. It’s really a shame, since as you can see below, our plant that went in the ground in 1997 still looks great. It’s almost like playing the lottery to try and figure out what to include in each new catalog.
One of my favorite perennials! I’ve divided it.many times and have it scattered in a few beds. It’s just so interesting!