Sanguisorba ‘Little Angel' AGM

Greater Burnet Rosaceae

A delightful, dwarf and strongly variegated Sanguisorba, forming low mats of finely divided, blue-green foliage edged irregularly in creamy white. From midsummer, short, slender stems rise above the foliage bearing numerous dusky crimson to raspberry-red, drumstick-like flowerheads. The compact habit makes it particularly useful at the front of the border, in rock gardens, containers or as a small-scale groundcover. Edulis records it at around 25–30cm, while the RHS describes a compact, mat-forming plant to 50cm and awards it an AGM (2021). 

Introduction: ‘Little Angel’ was discovered in 2009 by Dutch plantsmen Luc Klinkhamer and M. Chang of Osco Gardens, growing in a Japanese nursery in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It was brought back to the Netherlands and subsequently introduced as Sanguisorba ‘Little Angel’. It is derived from S. officinalis var. microcephala, although the cultivar is now generally treated simply as Sanguisorba ‘Little Angel’. 

Grow in full sun or partial shade in moderately fertile, reliably moist but well-drained soil. The creamy variegation provides excellent contrast with darker foliage, while the compact flower stems remain well proportioned to the plant. Unlike some variegated Sanguisorbas, it is considered relatively stable, although seed-raised plants should not be expected to retain the cultivar’s variegation. 

Flowering: July–September
Hardiness: H4, approximately –10 to –5°C
Height: 25–30cm
Spread: 30–45cm