Sanguisorba officinalis 'Tanna'

Sizes available: HPP #1

Basics: zones 4-8, 15-24" x 15", full sun to part shade, dark raspberry-pinkish "bobbles" in early to mid-summer, prefers consistent moisture but definitely well drained soil and is drought tolerant once established

Common names: Dwarf Burnet (this is a cultivar of Great Burnet)

Family: Rosaceae

Origin/Distribution: The species Sanguisorba officinalis has been cultivated by humans since at least the Middle Ages and probably longer. It is native throughout the cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia and it is establishing in Maine. 

Habitat: grasslands, grassy banks, fields

More: The young leaves of burnet are a delicious addition to salads, soups, and summer drinks. It is often sold as an herb and that is probably how it has made its escape from the garden to the wild in Maine. The pretty crimped foliage is cucumber-flavored. The Chinese call it Di Yu and use it medicinally. The cultivar 'Tanna' is compact and a good flowerer that has received a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. A good plant for the front of the border. 

Nursery: Honey Petal Plants

Image credits: Jelitto Staudensamen GmbH; illustration from Wikimedia Commons