Rodgersia 'Bronze Peacock'

Rodgersia 'Bronze Peacock': Glossy Bronze Leaves Built to Upstage

Huge, glossy leaves that come up deep bronze and stay moody all season. 'Bronze Peacock' fans out its foliage in moist shade like it's waiting for somebody to notice. TRUST US, EVERYONE NOTICES.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Rodgersia pinnata 'Bronze Peacock'
• Common Name: Rodgersia, Rodgers flower
• Height: 55 cm (22 in) in leaf, with flower stems rising well above
• Spread: 70 cm (28 in)
• Flowers: Fluffy, astilbe-like plumes of small pink flowers on reddish stems
• Bloom Time: Early summer (June)
• Foliage: Large, thick, glossy compound leaves that emerge deep bronze and mature to dark bronze-green
• Features: Bold foliage for moist shade, long-lasting seed heads after flowering

Where to Plant: Use it as a focal point in a shady border, in a woodland garden or along a pond or stream edge where the soil stays moist. Give it a little shelter from hot afternoon sun. Morning light or bright dappled shade suits it best.

Companion Plants: Give 'Bronze Peacock' a moist, shady bed with white epimedium, lilac astilbe and a spidery hosta. Epimedium 'Niveum' opens small white flowers at 20 to 30 cm in April and May. Hosta 'Get Nekkid' adds a mound of foliage at 30 cm with spidery lavender flowers. Astilbe 'Amethyst' brings lilac-purple plumes at 90 to 100 cm in June and July. Hakonechloa macra fills in at 30 to 45 cm with bright green, cascading blades.

Plant Care: Plant in part shade to full shade, in rich, humus-heavy soil that stays consistently moist but drains. Dig in plenty of compost at planting time and mulch to hold moisture. Water well during dry spells. Rodgersia sulks and scorches if it dries out. It can take a season or two to settle in and reach its full size, so be patient. Leave the seed heads standing after flowering if you like them, then cut the foliage back in late fall or early spring. Clumps spread slowly by thick rhizomes. Divide in early spring if you need more plants or the clump gets crowded.

History: 'Bronze Peacock' was discovered at Terra Nova Nurseries in Canby, Oregon, as a naturally occurring mutation of Rodgersia pinnata 'Ideal'. The species comes from Yunnan province in southwestern China.

Final Thoughts: Deer resistant, with pink plumes in early summer and seed heads that hang on afterwards. Give it moist soil and room to strut. SHOW-OFFS WELCOME.