Jumpseed

Jumpseed: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Bushy perennial about 60 cm high and wide, with arching reddish stems and a slowly spreading rootstock.

Foliage

Oval to egg-shaped, 10–15 cm, pointed; in ‘Painter’s Palette’ marbled cream, green and pink with a dark red V-shaped mark.

Flower

Small green-red flowers on thin, wiry spikes from August to October; they are hardly noticeable.

Fruit

Small seeds with a curved hook which, when ripe, are flung away at the slightest touch.

Roots

Creeping, branching rootstocks in moist, humus-rich soil.

Flowering: August–October · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• The marked foliage looks good all season, even without flowers.
• Brings light and contrast to a shady corner where few variegated plants thrive.
• Wiry flower spikes in late summer give the plant an airy effect.
• Fully hardy (down to about −25 °C) and low-maintenance.
• A good ground cover for a moist border and under trees.

Jumpseed: where does it grow best?

• Partial or light shade; in full sun the variegated foliage scorches.
• Humus-rich, moist to wet soil: loam, clay or peat, acid to neutral.
• Normal to fairly moist; it does not like drying out.
• Allow 50–60 cm between plants; it looks best in a damp spot.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Loam, clay or peat

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Hosta: Large, plain leaves make a calm backdrop for the marked foliage.
• Ferns: Fresh green underplanting in the same partial shade.
• Foamflower: A low ground cover with spring flowers in the same shady spot.
• Astilbe: Pink or white plumes at the edge of the moist border.

Jumpseed: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant in March–May or September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole big enough for the root ball and work some compost or leaf mould into the bottom.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil.
4. Keep 50–60 cm between plants.
5. Water in generously at once and keep the soil moist during the first season.
6. Lay a layer of leaf mould around the plant to keep the soil cool and moist.

Care

Water

Keep the soil moist at all times. In dry weather give a good soaking every week, especially in the first years.

Feeding

In spring a spadeful of compost or organic fertiliser.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould keeps the soil cool and moist and feeds the plant.

Deadheading

Cut off the spikes before the seed ripens if you do not want it to self-seed.

Dividing

Divide an old clump every 3–4 years in spring to keep it fresh.

Leaf colour

In light shade the marking is at its best; in deep shade it fades.

Tip: Plant it in partial shade: in full sun the variegated foliage scorches. Cut off the flower spikes before the seed ripens and it will stay neatly where you put it.

Jumpseed: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before the new shoots start to grow.

How:

• Cut off the withered stems and brown leaves just above the ground.
• In summer, cut off damaged or scorched leaves.
• Cut off the flower spikes before the seed ripens to limit self-seeding.
• Remove seedlings with plain green leaves: they are less ornamental.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or September: lift the clump, divide it with a spade or knife and replant the pieces with roots at once.

Seed

Sow outdoors in autumn or in pots in spring. Variegated cultivars do not always come true from seed: some seedlings are plain green.

Jumpseed: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy down to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The foliage dies back in autumn. Leave it in place as natural protection until March.
• In a pot: keep the pot moist and stand it in a sheltered spot.

Diseases and pests

• Scorched leaves: Brown patches and leaf edges in full sun or dry weather. Move it to partial shade and water.
• Slugs: They eat young shoots in spring. Pick them off in the evening.
• Loss of marking: Too deep shade or plain green seedlings. Put it in light shade and remove seedlings with plain leaves.
• Self-seeding: It seeds itself. Cut off the spikes and pull out unwanted seedlings.

Through the year

• March: Cut back to just above the ground. Plant or divide.
• April: Plant or divide. Mulch. Watch for slugs.
• May: Plant. Water in dry weather.
• June: Water in dry weather.
• July: Water. The variegated foliage is at its best.
• August: Flowering begins. Cut off spikes before the seed ripens.
• September: Flowering. Plant or move.
• October: Plant. In autumn the foliage fades and dies back.
• November: Rest. Leave the leaves lying.

Did you know?

• Its English name jumpseed refers to the seeds, which spring away when ripe and touched.
• In the wild the plant grows both in eastern North America and in East Asia: a well-known example of such a wide separation.
• It used to be called Tovara virginiana or Antenoron virginianum; the species name virginiana refers to Virginia.