Arching violet-red flower panicles up to a foot long. Compact habit. Attracts butterflies, blooms mid-summer till frost and provides winter interest and bird cover through the winter.

Care: Ordinary garden soil will do nicely. Fairly drought tolerant. Increasing the alkalinity of the soil may improve both growth and floral quality. In the north, this shrub-like perennial is best cut back to about 4-6 inches in the early spring.