• architectural
• tough
• full to part shade
• attractive pink/white flower plume
• moist to dry loam
• a ‘cast iron’ plant
• large leaves
• red stems
• dimensions depend on growing conditions (in my garden 2’H X 3′ W)
• rhizomatous, gently spreading

This is your plant for that difficult, fully shaded corner in the garden. Although rhizomatous and slightly spreading, it has taken mine many years to fill just one deep corner. It is frequently listed as moisture loving and ideal for beside a pond or in a damp area where it would likely grow much larger but mine is in a very dry area and still does well. Rodgersias hail from the dense forests of Asia where they can grow much larger and do not die down in winter. In my garden this herbaceous perennial dies down in winter but in spring the shoots appear once more to produce long, flowering, pink panicles opening to white. Much of my plant’s growth habits defy what information is frequently found on the internet, which makes me think this plant has not been trialed much in our climate. They are often listed as less hardy than zone 3 and suited to zones 5 to 9. I do not give it winter protection although it is covered with a good depth of undisturbed snow most winters and it is not babied at all.

The large attractive five ‘fingered’ leaf quickly covers a bare area of soil and provides a great back drop for other shade loving plants, such as Astilbes and Hostas. The leaves emerge green but will change to a more reddish colour in the fall. I have not tested this plant with deer but it is listed as deer resistant.

There are different species of Rodgersia and the full name of this one was not listed when I purchased it many years ago. It was simply named Rodgersia but I believe it to be Rodgersia aesculifolia.