Description
Rodgersia aesculifolia
As its name suggests, the leaves of this Rodgersia are like the Horse Chestnut. Like podophylla, they are palmate, with all the leaflets arising from a central point but unlike it the leaf ends are much more rounded with the whole leaf outline being round too. They can be up to 50cm across. The flowers are white and are carried in a lax arching panicle on rusty stems up to 2m long. Farrer, who first saw this in Western China described it as a magnificent sight with huge clumps of large metallic leaves. There are many forms of this species in cultivation.
Rodgersias are that most prized of plants, excellent foliage plants that provide an excellent performance from their flowers as well. They are most often seen in British gardens as a plant to grow by water, where they do look splendid. However they can also be grown in any site that is not too hot and dry. The largest lushest growth will be obtained on the wetter grown specimens.
The leaves of Rodgersias are deeply cut into lobes with a surface that is deeply rough and textured. Many types are tinted bronze when they emerge and can colour richly in the Autumn before being shed. The flowers are held on stiffly branched spikes, often well above the foliage and possessing a form that reminds me of a Japanese Pagoda. The flowers begin a little like a Bergenia’s but a mass of stamens renders them quite fluffy and plume-like. Once flowering is over. the flowering stems possess a beauty of their own that renders them worthy of being left on the plant for some time. This is particularly true in Rodgersia pinnata ‘Elegans’ where the stems and seed capsules are a rich reddy brown.
Rodgersia were named in honour of Admiral John Rodgers who captained the expedition to Japan in which Rodgersia podophylla was first collected.
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