Ornamental · Saxifragaceae
Rodgersia
Rodgersia aesculifolia
Give it damp shade and rodgersia will pump out enormous, sculpted leaves all season.
Partial shade
USDA 5–7
3–5 ft · 0.9–1.5 m
Overview
So here's the thing about rodgersia: it's really all about the leaves. They're big and deeply cut, shaped a lot like a horse chestnut's, and they're wide enough to fill a shady, damp corner on their own. Then summer rolls around and up come tall, branched flower heads that look pretty much like an astilbe's.
Got a wet, shady spot where nothing else wants to grow? That's exactly where rodgersia is happiest. Think bog gardens, the edge of a pond, a soggy dip near a stream, or the cool north side of the house. It's tough and it sticks around, so once it likes where it's planted it'll be back year after year.
The one thing it really can't stand is dry ground. Let the soil bake and the leaf edges go crispy and brown almost right away. But keep those roots cool and moist and honestly, rodgersia doesn't ask for much else.
Care
The short version: pop it in part to full shade in rich, humusy soil that stays moist to wet, don't let it dry out, and give it some compost through the growing season.
Light
Rodgersia likes part to full shade, and the shadier the better if your summers get hot. Too much sun, especially that harsh afternoon kind, and the leaf edges scorch brown.
Water
This is the big one, so pay attention here. The soil has to stay moist to wet all the time and never dry out, which is why rodgersia does so well in bog gardens and along pond and stream banks. Let it get thirsty, though, and the leaf margins brown in just a few days.
Soil
Go for rich, humusy soil that's full of organic matter and hangs onto water. You want it moist to wet, but not a stagnant, sludgy mess, so a little drainage or some gentle movement in the water helps a lot.
Temperature
It's really tough in the cold, shrugging off winter lows around -20°F (-29°C) and summer heat up to about 75°F (24°C). It's much happier in a cool, temperate garden than somewhere hot and dry.
Humidity
Humidity? Don't even worry about it. Average outdoor air is totally fine, so there's no number to hit. What rodgersia actually cares about is moisture down at the roots, not the air around its leaves.
Feeding
Just mix some compost or a balanced fertilizer into that rich soil while it's growing. And a yearly layer of organic mulch is great too, since it feeds the plant and keeps the ground damp at the same time.
Pruning
Not much to do, really. Snip off the spent flower stalks once the blooms are done, and pull off any ragged or browned leaves during the season so the clump keeps looking good.
Size & spacing
Give it time and rodgersia turns into a big clump, about 3 to 5 feet (91 to 152 cm) tall and just as wide. So leave it that whole 3 to 5 feet (91 to 152 cm) of space to let those big leaves stretch out.
When to plant
There's no fussy schedule to worry about here. Just get rodgersia in the ground in spring once the frost's gone, somewhere cool, moist, and part-shaded, and it'll flower from June to August. After that it just keeps filling out its clump a bit more each year.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Sow seed in late winter to early spring; seed may need cool stratification.
- Plant: Plant outdoors in spring after frost in a moist, partly shaded site.
- Harvest: Blooms June to August with branched, astilbe-like panicles.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 5–7
Temperature: down to -29°C
Troubleshooting
Good news: rodgersia hardly ever causes trouble, and when it does, it shows up on the leaves. Usually it's dry soil, a few slugs, or a bit of mildew. Find your symptom below and sort it out early, and you'll be fine.
Brown, crispy edges on the leaves
Those crispy brown edges? That is leaf scorch, and it usually means the soil dried out or the sun got too strong. Rodgersia really wants cool, damp roots the whole time, so keep the soil watered, give it a bit more shade, and pile some mulch over the crown to trap the moisture.
Fix:
- Keep soil consistently moist
- Provide partial to full shade
- Mulch to conserve moisture
Chewed-up holes in the leaves
See ragged holes in those big leaves? That is almost always slugs and snails, and they love the same damp shade rodgersia does, chewing away at night. Spot any slime trails and you have caught them. Go out after dark to pick them off, put down some bait or a copper strip, and clear out the junk they hide under during the day.
Fix:
- Hand-pick at night
- Use slug baits or barriers
- Reduce excess debris around plants
A white powdery dusting on the leaves
That whitish, dusty look is powdery mildew, and it tends to hit plants that are crowded or a bit too dry. Pick off the leaves that look worst, thin out the clump so air can get moving through it, and keep the soil nice and evenly damp so the plant never gets thirsty.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation
- Avoid drought stress
- Remove affected foliage
Toxicity
Worried about the pets or the kids? You can let that go. Rodgersia isn't known to be toxic, the ASPCA doesn't put it on its poison list for cats and dogs, and nobody's reported problems for other animals or people either. So plant away and don't give it a second thought.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Safe
Rodgersia isn't on the toxic list for cats, so if one takes a bite, it is not going to do any real damage. A curious cat might get a little upset tummy from chewing the leaves, but that is about it.
Dogs Safe
Dogs are totally fine around this one, since there is no known poison in it for them. That said, if a dog scarfs down a big pile of the tough leaves, it might end up with a quick tummy ache.
Horses Safe
Nobody has reported rodgersia poisoning a horse, so they can happily graze right next to it.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits won't get poisoned by rodgersia, and those big, kind of coarse leaves aren't really their thing anyway, so most bunnies just leave it alone.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, sheep, and goats are fine sharing a damp field or pond edge with rodgersia, because there is nothing in it that is toxic to them.
Birds Safe
Backyard birds and chickens have nothing to fear here, whether they are pecking at the leaves or poking around in the wet soil nearby.
People Safe
People grow rodgersia to look at, not to eat, and it won't poison anyone. So there is no reason to shoo the kids away from it out in the garden.
Varieties
There aren't many rodgersia types kicking around gardens, and each one's grown for its own leaf or flower. Here are the two that are really worth knowing.
Rodgersia pinnata 'Superba'
This is the featherleaf one, with bronze-purple new leaves that turn green as they age, plus rose-pink to red flowers all summer.
Rodgersia podophylla
This one's got bold, hand-shaped leaves with 5 lobes (sometimes 7), growing up to 16 inches across and finishing the year in bronze-red.
How to propagate
Want more rodgersia? It's easy. Mostly you just split up a clump you've already got, though you can start it from seed too if you're the patient type.
DivisionModerate
Divide thick rhizomes in spring or early fall. · One to two growing seasons
Honestly, splitting a clump is the easiest way to get more. In spring or early fall, dig up a plant that's settled in and chop the thick rhizomes into pieces, making sure each one has a bud and a few roots. Then just replant them in rich, moist soil and give them one to two growing seasons to really settle in. You can grow it from seed too, and a happy plant will slowly spread on its own as those rhizomes creep out.
Myths
Rodgersia is basically a pond plant that needs to sit in standing water.
Sure, it loves moisture and it's right at home in the damp, wet soil beside ponds and streams, but it's not actually an aquatic. Keep the soil steadily moist and it'll never need to sit in stagnant, waterlogged mud.