Rodgersia sambucifolia

The Rodgersia sambucifolia, sometimes called Elderleaf Rodgersia, is an elegant perennial plant for cool and humid climates. It forms a solid and bushy clump that immediately captivates with its superb foliage. Its large, velvety, and deeply cut leaves resemble those of elder trees; they are a deep emerald green, sometimes tinged with bronze. Its summer flowering, with airy panicles in white to pink, resembles the plumes of astilbes. This large perennial thrives in damp woodland areas where it spreads through a powerful rootstock. It should be grown sheltered from wind and harsh sunlight, in cool and fertile soil that is slightly acidic and not too chalky.

Rodgersia sambucifolia is a large rhizomatous perennial plant with an architectural and bushy habit, native to the wet forests and meadows of southwestern China, mainly in the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. From its fleshy rootstock emerges a clump of large pinnate leaves, reaching a height and width of 70 cm (28in) to 1 m (3ft). The clumps slowly spread over time to form patches of over 1 square meter. The foliage of this perennial is characterized by its striking resemblance to elder trees. The leaves, hairy and soft to the touch, are quite elongated and can reach a length of 75 cm (30in). They are divided into 7 to 11 oblong to lanceolate leaflets with dentate edges, deeply veined, arranged in opposite pairs with a terminal leaflet. It chooses the beginning of summer to flower, producing dense panicles on very dark stems, ranging from 30 to 70 cm (12 to 28in), adorned with tiny star-shaped flowers that start off pink and then turn white-cream.

Rodgersia sambucifolia is a shade and moisture-loving plant, ideal near water features, alongside ferns, grasses, and astilbes, or as a border plant in damp woodland areas with large ferns, Boehmeria, Syneilesis, tiarella, and heuchera. It can tolerate slightly drier conditions, as long as it is planted in shade. Plant it in groups to cover the ground along a shaded pathway, or as a solitary specimen highlighted by a carpet of golden sedge and the blue flowers of liverworts.