About Rodgersia podophylla A.Gray
Rodgersia podophylla A.Gray is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family, native to Japan and Korea. This herbaceous perennial grows to 2 m (6.6 ft) tall and wide. It produces attractive spiky foliage, and bears occasional creamy-white flower panicles in June and July. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, and prefers damp, shady positions growing in neutral to acid soils. While it is hardy down to −20 °C (−4 °F), it grows best in a sheltered location. This species is mainly selected for its clumps of large palmate leaves that have 5 or 7 toothed segments; these leaves open bronze, turn green in summer, and change to bronze-red in autumn. It can spread via underground rhizomes and will eventually cover a large area. Its compact cultivar 'Rotlaub' has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
