Rodgersia henrici

Horse Chestnut-leaved Rodgersia Saxifragaceae

For those who like their foliage large and their flowers decidedly less wishy-washy, this is a Rodgersia worth seeking out. The bold, horse-chestnut-like leaves provide architectural heft, but the real party trick is the flower panicles: densely packed with relatively large flowers, opening pink and deepening to rosy red and claret as they mature. Unlike the airy plumes of some of its relatives, these are broad, substantial affairs that make a proper statement above the foliage. Collected by Prince Henri d’Orléans in 1895, the plant was initially described as an Astilbe before being named by Adrien Franchet in 1897. It hails from the mountainous regions of south-western China, extending into Tibet, northern Myanmar and Nagaland, where it grows in woodland, scrub and alpine meadows. Give it moisture-retentive, humus-rich soil in partial shade, and protect those magnificent leaves from drying winds. Just remember that the name has a little taxonomic baggage: Kew currently treats it as Rodgersia aesculifolia var. henrici.

• Hardiness: H6 (−20 to −15°C)
• Height: 90–120 cm
• Spread: 60–90 cm
• Flowers: June–August