Rodgersia pinnata Bronze Peacock

Rodgersia pinnata 'Bronze Peacock' is a very recent variety of rodgersia with a compact habit. It bears the darkest and most enigmatic foliage of all rodgersias. It develops an abundance of palmate foliage reminiscent of chestnut, with an antique brown colour that seems forged in bronze. In summer, it is adorned with bright pink flowers, while the foliage takes on a brilliant red-violet hue. With its compact habit and sumptuous foliage, this robust perennial is irreplaceable in humid and shaded areas, even when space is limited.

Rodgersia pinnata is a Chinese herbaceous and deciduous species belonging to the Saxifragaceae family. From its fleshy rhizome emerges a clump of large pinnate leaves, not exceeding 60cm (24in) in height and 80cm (32in) in width. The clumps slowly spread to form stumps of over 1m² over time. The 'Bronze Peacock' variety, registered in 2012 in Oregon by Terra Nova Nurseries, has been the subject of a patent application: unlike others, it originates from a tissue culture mutation of R. pinnata 'Ideal'. The foliage of this perennial is distinguished by its thickness and its appearance, which closely resembles that of chestnuts. The leaves are divided into 4 to 8 lanceolate, wrinkled, deeply veined leaflets, arranged in opposite pairs, with a terminal leaflet. What distinguishes the 'Bronze Peacock' cultivar are the beautifully dark and shiny shades of its foliage in spring, as well as those of its new summer shoots. It blooms at the beginning of summer, sending out large panicles on red stems, taller than those of other varieties, adorned with softly scented bright pink flowers. The flowering is followed on the floral stalks by the formation of dark, ornamental seed heads that persist on the plant for a long time.

Rodgersia pinnata 'Bronze Peacock' loves cool and shady areas. It is ideal near water features, alongside ferns, grasses, and astilbes, or along the edge of moist woodland with Tiarella and heucheras. It can tolerate drier conditions, as long as it is planted in shade. Plant it in numbers to cover the ground at the edge of a shaded path, or as a standalone specimen, highlighted by a golden cushion of sagina, a large clump of heuchera, and the blue flowers of hepaticas.