This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: any moist soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: July to September
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  Robust, attractive and easy to grow, this native perennial is ideal for mixed planting schemes. Its red-flushed stems support handsome, lobed foliage, and they’re crowned in summer, with large, flat-topped clusters of pink, purple or white flowers, which are a magnet for butterflies.
  
  
• Garden care: In spring, surface sow seeds in trays filled with a good seed mix, lightly pressing them into the compost. Maintaining temperatures around 18-20C, but if germination has not begun after 6 weeks, cold stratify by placing the seed tray in the fridge for 4 weeks before returning to warmer conditions. When large enough to handle, grow on in individual pots and gradually acclimatise before planting out. When in growth, cut back and compost the stems after flowering, and remove unwanted seedlings as they appear.
  
  
• Sow: March to June
  
  
• Approximate quantity: 200 seeds