Lysimachia paridiformis var stenophylla

 Loosestrife Myrsinaceae

This is a loosestrife that clearly read the gardening manual and decided to ignore the bit about yellow flowers being predictable. A rather choice woodland perennial, Lysimachia paridiformis var. stenophylla forms a neat clump of slender stems, each topped by a distinctive whorl of narrow, lanceolate leaves. From late spring into summer, clusters of bright yellow, starry flowers appear above the foliage, often with attractive reddish or dark glandular markings towards the centre. 

The epithet stenophylla means “narrow-leaved”, an apt distinction from the broader-leaved typical variety. Kew currently accepts it as a variety of L. paridiformis, while older literature and horticultural sources have also treated it under the name Lysimachia trientalioides. 

It is native to south-central and southern China, occurring in damp woodland, wet ravines and shaded mountain habitats from roughly 500–1400m, with records from Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan and Yunnan. The variety is considerably more widespread than the typical form. 

There is an excellent horticultural provenance attached to plants grown in Britain. Mikinori Ogisu collected seed in China more than 20 years before 2011 and sent it to Roy Lancaster, who subsequently passed seed to Ian and Anne Young for cultivation. Their plants proved vigorous, flowered reliably and were propagated by cuttings when they failed to set seed. 

A charming plant for woodland, the edge of a shady border or moist, humus-rich soil, where its unusual whorled foliage and bright yellow flowers make it considerably more interesting than the average Lysimachia.

Height: 30–45cm
Spread: 40–55cm
Flowering: May–August
Hardiness: H6, approximately -20 to -15°C
Position: Partial shade to shade
Soil: Moist, fertile, humus-rich but well-drained soil