Rodgersia

Rodgersia: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Clump-forming perennial about 1.2 m tall and 1 m wide, with a thick, creeping rootstock.

Foliage

Large, hand-shaped, made up of 5–7 leaflets, each up to about 25 cm long, crinkled, with brown hairs on the stalks; bronze when unfurling.

Flowers

Large, loose plumes of about 30–50 cm with many small, star-like flowers, in June and July.

Colour

Creamy white to pale pink; the seed plumes turn red-brown.

Roots

Thick, creeping rootstock just below the surface; it needs permanently moist soil.

Flowering: June–July · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Large, hand-shaped leaves that give the garden a lush, tropical look.
• Flowers in June and July in creamy white plumes that bees like.
• The foliage is bronze when it unfurls and turns coppery in autumn.
• The red-brown seed plumes stay attractive in autumn.
• Fully hardy to about −25 °C and faithful for years in the same spot.
• Little work: no pruning, just clear dead leaves in March.

Rodgersia: where does it grow best?

• Half shade or light shade; in sun only if the soil stays wet all the time.
• Humus-rich, moist to wet soil: loam, clay or peat, acid to neutral.
• The soil must never dry out: ideal beside a pond or stream, or in a bog garden.
• Sheltered from wind, which can tear and scorch the large leaves.
• Allow 1 m per plant; over the years it forms a large clump.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Loam, clay or peat

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Wet

Size

1.2 m tall, 1 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Hosta: Large leaves of a different shape and colour in the same half shade.
• Astilbe: Pink and red plumes that flower at the same time in the same moist spot.
• Ostrich fern: Fresh green, elegant fronds next to the large leaves.
• Candelabra primula: Whorls of yellow or orange flowers in the same wet soil.
• Siberian iris: Slim leaves and blue flowers in early summer.

Rodgersia: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or in September–October, when the soil is moist but not frozen.
2. Dig a large hole and mix in plenty of compost or leaf mould so that the soil holds moisture.
3. Lay the rootstock horizontally, with the buds just below the surface (2–3 cm deep).
4. Leave 1 m between plants.
5. Water in generously straight away and keep the soil moist at all times in the first year.
6. Spread a 5 cm layer of leaf mould around the plant as mulch, without covering the buds.

Care

Water

Keep the soil moist at all times, especially in summer. In an ordinary border water generously and regularly in dry weather; beside a pond or in a bog garden this is rarely necessary.

Feeding

A layer of compost or organic fertiliser in spring. No more is needed.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould in spring and autumn keeps the soil cool and moist.

Protection

The young leaves are sensitive to late frost. In April–May cover the plant with horticultural fleece or dry leaves when night frost is forecast.

Tidying

In March remove dead leaves and old stems before the new foliage unfurls.

Tip: Give it humus-rich soil that never dries out and a spot out of the wind. Cover the young leaves with horticultural fleece in April–May when night frost is forecast.

Rodgersia: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: It is not pruned. Only in March do you cut off the dead leaves and old stems.

How:

• Cut dead stems and old leaves down to just above the ground in March, before the new shoots appear.
• Leave the seed plumes until then: they look good in autumn and winter.
• If you do not want seed, you can cut off faded plumes in summer.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or September–October, once every five years: cut off a piece of rootstock with buds and roots with a sharp spade and replant it straight away in moist soil. This is the quickest method.

Seed

Sow fresh seed in autumn in a tray of seed compost and barely cover it. Put the tray outside in the cold and keep it moist. Seedlings appear in spring but grow slowly and take several years to flower.

Rodgersia: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgian winters.
• The foliage dies back in autumn. Leave it in place until spring as protection for the rootstock.
• The young leaves come up early and can be browned by late frost. Cut off damaged leaves; new ones will grow.

Diseases and pests

• Scorched leaves: Brown, dry edges in a spot that is too sunny, windy or dry. Water generously, mulch and move it to half shade out of the wind.
• Slugs: Holes in the young leaves in spring. Collect them in the evening and clear hiding places.
• Late frost damage: New leaves turned black or limp after a night frost. Cut off affected leaves; new ones will grow. Cover next year when frost is forecast.
• Little flowering: A young plant only flowers after a few years. In soil that is too dry or in deep shade the plumes stay away: give more water and light.

Through the year

• March: Cut off dead leaves and old stems. Plant or divide. Give compost.
• April: Plant. Apply mulch. Cover in night frost.
• May: Watch for slugs. Cover in night frost. Water in dry weather.
• June: Flowering begins. Water generously in dry weather.
• July: Full flower. Water in dry weather.
• August: Seed plumes appear. Water in dry weather.
• September: Plant or divide. Sow seed.
• October: Plant. Coppery autumn colour. Mulch with leaf mould.
• November: Leave the leaves in place as winter protection.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Rodgersia recalls Admiral John Rodgers, who led an American expedition in the Pacific in the 1850s, during which the first species of the genus was found in Japan.
• The species name aesculifolia means ‘with leaves like Aesculus’: the foliage resembles that of the horse chestnut.
• It is related to Astilbe and Bergenia and, like them, belongs to the saxifrage family.