Japanese burnet
Sanguisorba obtusa

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Purple. Main Bloom Time: Late summer. Form: Rounded.

Sanguisorba obtusa is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.6 m (2ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Damp alpine meadows.

E. Asia - Japan.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Leaves - cooked. A famine food, they are only used when all else fails.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Prefers a good moist soil that does not dry out in the summer, in sun or partial shade. Hardy to about -20°c. A very ornamental plant.

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in the spring.

Best place to grow: Bog Garden; Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 4-9

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist, wet

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

S. hakuasanensis.