Persicaria aka Knotweed, Smartweed

Persicaria is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the knotweed family, Polygonaceae, known as knotweeds or smartweeds. With a cosmopolitan distribution, these plants can be found nearly worldwide. One species, Persicaria virginiana, is a vigorous perennial native to Missouri, forming spreading foliage mounds. It has broad, oval, medium green leaves and small, white to greenish-white, jumpseed-like flowers in mid to late summer. Another variety, 'Purple Fantasy,' is a perennial plant with low mounds of upright stems that creep vigorously from stout rhizomes. Its triangular leaves emerge maroon-purple in spring, turning green with purple markings, and the undersides are tinged pink. It produces tiny pink or white flowers in profusion, blooming from midsummer to autumn on slender stems. 'Painter's Palette' is a variegated cultivar of Persicaria, grown for its attractive foliage. It forms spreading foliage mounds with broad, oval, marbled leaves in shades of green, creamy white, yellow, and pink, each leaf featuring a large central chocolate-red chevron. These descriptions encompass the various characteristics and features of Persicaria plants.