White Eastfield Bistort

White Eastfield Bistort (Persicaria amplexicaulis 'White Eastfield') is a clumping perennial around 90cm tall and wide that sends up slim white flower spikes from early summer until the first hard cold. Most white flowering perennials sulk in damp ground. This one thrives in it, which makes it the answer for the low, wet corner nothing else will fill.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers for months, not weeks. Fresh spikes keep coming from early summer through autumn, so the border never goes blank mid season.
• Wet feet are welcome. Heavy soil, a downpipe outlet or a pond edge that stays soggy will not rot it out the way it does most perennials.
• Fully frost hardy. It dies back to the crown over winter and reshoots strongly in spring, so hard frosts cost you nothing.
• Bees and butterflies work it hard. The narrow spikes are easy landing platforms and stay open right through the warm season.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 60cm apart for a full perennial border. At that spacing the clumps meet at the base while the spikes stay distinct.

Mass planting. Drifts of five or more at the same spacing read far better than single plants. The white carries at a distance and lifts darker foliage behind it.

Damp features. Pond surrounds, rain garden basins and the wet side of a swale all suit it.

Growing White Eastfield Bistort in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun in cool districts, part shade where summers are hot. This is a cool temperate and warm temperate perennial. It needs a real winter to perform, so tropical and subtropical gardens are the wrong climate for it.

Soil. Anything that holds moisture. Clay is fine, as is soil that stays wet for days after rain. Work compost through before planting and mulch 50mm deep to keep the root zone cool through summer.

Water and feed. This is not a drought plant. Keep the soil damp through its first two summers and water in dry spells thereafter, since dry roots stall the flowering. A handful of compost or complete fertiliser as growth starts in spring is enough.

Pruning. Cut the whole clump to ground level once the foliage browns off in late autumn. Lift and divide every three or four years in winter to keep the centre vigorous.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tube stock: a young plant with a small crown and a few shoots rather than a flowering clump. Tubes establish quickly in damp soil and reach useful size in their first season, with the heaviest flowering from the second summer.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. If yours arrives during winter dormancy it may be little more than a crown in a pot. That is normal for a herbaceous perennial. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Building a cottage garden with perennials
• What to plant in a garden that stays wet
• Browse bee and butterfly plants
• Compare frost hardy plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Sixty centimetres apart for a full border. Closer planting does not fill the gap any faster and makes dividing the clumps harder in a few years.

Does it spread and become a nuisance?

No. This species forms a slowly widening clump rather than running underground, so it stays where you put it. Seedlings are uncommon and easy to pull.

Will it grow in a warm, humid garden?

Not well. It needs a cold winter dormancy, so in subtropical and tropical gardens it looks tired and flowers poorly.

Does it die back in winter?

Yes, in any garden that gets frost. The top growth browns and collapses, the crown stays alive underground, and fresh shoots appear as the soil warms in spring.