Description
Rodgersia aesculifolia hybrid ?
We have had this variety for years and it came to us originally from a Dutch wholesale source as R.aesculifolia, which it almost certainly isn’t completely. The shape of the leaflets is absolutely like a Horse Chestnut and all would be well but for the fact the leaves are pseudopinnate just like those of R.pinnata. There is a touch of rusty hairs on the leaf veins and the flower spike is tall and columnar and white as R.aesculifolia should be. I’ll leave you with these facts and the photographs to guide you. The leaves are pleasing, emerging with an ochre hue, and the flower spikes are tall and white and striking.
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.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.