Old Red Legs

Common names abound for this plant; Bistort; Adderwort; Red Legs; Serpentary; Serpentaria; Snakeweed; and Knotweed. I've also heard it called the Tampon plant but suspect that's more modern term. It is in fact 'Polygonatum bistorta' and is a form of knotweed. This is the far superior 'Superba' and can flower for most of summer. It is easy to grow, excellent under trees, shrubs, or difficult places where some form of ground cover is required. The flowers themselves last for ages when cut so it should be popular with flower arrangers. It is a plant that spreads readily yet is easy to keep under control, it is happy in sun or shade and that's the truth, no nurseryman's ambiguity I promise.
It was once called 'Persicaria bistorta' until the men in suits got into the nomenclature (posh word for grouping plants). To be fair I should not be so disparaging about the changing of names in the plant world, I'm just used to fellow growers bitching on about renames because like all older folk, we don't like change. I am used to Cimicifuga; it is a word that slips of the tongue well and make the average gardener sound a real smart arse and profoundly knowledgeable, it is now 'Actea' which sounds like a skin disease.