Boehmeria macrophylla var. rotundifolia PB 02-530

False Nettle Urticaceae

A particularly handsome false nettle and one of the more spectacular foliage plants in the genus. This form produces strong, upright stems clothed with enormous, rounded, softly hairy, matt-green leaves, their deeply impressed venation and reddish petioles adding considerably to the effect. The leaves have a conspicuous elongated drip-tip, sometimes approaching 7 cm, which is particularly attractive after rain. Slender, green, thread-like inflorescences emerge from the upper leaf axils in summer.

PB 02-530 was collected in 2002 by Patrick Blanc in West Bengal, India, at approximately 1200 m, (probably the Darjeeling/Kalimpong region given the altitude) and has subsequently proved considerably hardier than its Himalayan origins might suggest. It has remained perennial for many years in Paris and, in a sheltered position in Britain, can make a substantial clump. The stems may exceed 1 m in height, although growth is late to reappear after winter. Give it fertile, moisture-retentive soil in sun or, preferably, partial shade, and provide a generous mulch in colder areas. A superb plant where bold foliage is the priority. It is best to give a good layer of mulch in the autumn if growing outside.

The name is currently treated by Kew as a synonym of Boehmeria virgata var. rotundifolia (D.Don) Friis & Wilmot-Dear. The variety is native from Nepal through the eastern Himalaya to China and is associated particularly with forests and streams at around 1700–2100 m. 

• Hardiness: H5 – approximately -15 to -10°C, with a protective mulch
• Height: 1–1.5 m
• Spread: 1–1.5 m
• Flowers: Summer
• Collection: Patrick Blanc, PB 02-530; West Bengal, India, c.1200