I made a new acquaintance the other day, lucky me. Found that plant of the week – Lysimachia clethroides was growing just around the corner. A fairly new corner actually. Big business from the Far East has built a fancy new office block (read huge complex), with suitably grand landscaping attached. I think the borders were planted only last year, but this summer looks like they’ve been there considerably longer. They must have gotten containers on the large side when planting. Sometimes expenditure is no problem at all. Or perhaps the quickness in establishing itself is due to it being a pioneer plant in its natural range.
Anyway, so the other day, I walked past and saw these masses of wonderful white blooms! And it wasn’t just me liking them – so did the butterflies, they were just all over them. How pleasing to see. Lysimachia clethroides is native to Japan and China. It can actually be used a leaf vegetable and also for medicinal purposes. In 1993, it received Royal Horticultural Society‘s Award of Garden Merit.
According to this very source, it grows to about a metre in height, prefers moist, but well-drained soil and likes a sunny to part-shade location. It’s quite an aggressive plant, and could potentially take over a border, which could be useful to keep in mind when considering your garden design scheme.
