About Persicaria virginiana (L.) Gaertn.
Like other members of the Persicaria genus, jumpseed (Persicaria virginiana) has alternate leaves, with fine-haired stipular sheaths called ocrea that have bristle-fringed edges and often turn brownish. Its flowers are widely spaced along slender stalks, and range in color from white to greenish-white, rarely with a pink tinge. Fruiting flowers have two downward-pointing, hook-tipped styles. Persicaria virginiana can be easily distinguished from most other Persicaria species by its much larger, more oval-shaped leaves, though a small number of other Persicaria species also have large leaves. It sometimes has a chevron-shaped marking on its leaves; often a single plant will have this marking on only some of its leaves, not all. Cultivars and naturalized populations descended from cultivated plants display much greater variation than wild-type plants. They sometimes have variegation, more complex red patterning, and may produce red or pink flowers. Persicaria virginiana has a wide native range that covers most of eastern North America — from Ontario and Quebec south to Florida, and west as far as Texas, Nebraska, and Minnesota — as well as Japan and the Himalayas. It grows naturally in full to partial shade, in habitats including riverbanks, woods, cliffs, and rocks. Many variegated cultivars of this species exist, including 'Variegata' and 'Painter's Palette'. Cultivated Persicaria virginiana prefers medium to moist soil and full sun to part shade.
