What do rodgersia flowers look like?
Rodgersia flowers are made up of large clusters of 5-petaled cream, pink, and/or white blooms on a central stem.
The flowers bloom from spring to summer and are fragrant.
I have one flowering in the garden right now. I assume it self-seeded there from a neighboring garden, as we’ve not had it before, nor did we plant it.
We had a lot of rodgersia suddenly come up underneath the feijoa trees (pineapple guava) as well. I pulled all of those out because they are unwanted in that spot, but I’m leaving them to grow in other parts of the garden.
You can see the flower cluster in the following picture – all images were taken in late spring.
Rodgersia Flowers
Rodgersia flowers are small, light, and delicate, and resemble Astilbe flowers, which have the same design and structure, but different leaves.
Knowing how easily the seed travels and replicates, I’ll make sure to cut the flower stem before it drops the seed. I would like more of these plants in other parts of the garden, so I’ll save them and then plant seeds there.
My rodgersia variety is ‘pinnata superba.’
Wake Robin Nursery says:
[Grows] to 1 meter. Rare specimen plant.
The bold, divided leaves often take on a bronze caste when they first emerge in spring. Large airy plumes of creamy to deep-pink flowers appear in early to mid-summer, and these are useful for cutting or even drying.
With its bold, divided leaves this forms an exotic-looking clump that adds a unique foliage accent to any moist border. Plants prefer a moist, dappled shade setting, but will grow in full sun at the waterside.
Useful as a bold, architectural specimen plant. Water during dry weather. 1 liter pots – winter dormant.
The rodgersia that I’ve pictured in this post is not in an overly moist area of the garden but seems to be growing well.
In fact, this garden bed will dry out significantly in the coming months as we get deeper into summer, so it may not do as well going forward.
The garden is heavily mulched with pea straw which has kept the ground moist til this point.
Rodgersia is a perennial plant. I’ll probably leave this specimen where it is and see how it spreads. If it gets out of control I’ll transplant it to a spot that needs a bit more filling out.
It’s nice to have a damp-proof plant that can be used in the wetter parts of the garden.
Rodgersia Flower FAQs
When do rodgersia flowers bloom?
Rodgersia flowers will develop from spring to summer.
They like a lot of water and will thrive in warm, rainy conditions.
What are the best conditions for flowering rodgersia?
Rodgersia prefers damp soil and flourishes in sheltered, shady locations.
The rodgersia pictured here is in a spot that gets all day sun, though we have had almost constant rain for the past month.
Heavy mulch will help the soil retain moisture and allow rodgersia to establish itself even in postions that are not ideal.
How often should I water a rodgersia while it’s flowering?
Rodgersia plants need to be kept in moist soil, so should be watered as often as needed to achieve and maintain this.
As already stated, a heavy mulch will keep the soil wet longer and require less watering.
Are there any uses for rodgersia flowers?
Rodgersia flowers are not edible or useful as an alternative medicine.
They brighten up the garden and are good around ponds and other water features. Their use is in their good looks – whether they are in flower or not.
What do rodgersia flowers smell like?
Rodgersia flowers have a lovely fragrance.
Like the flowers themselves, the scent is soft and delicate with a hint of aniseed.
You need to intentionally bend to the flowers to smell them, as the scent won’t waft through the year as with honeysuckle, for example.
How long do rodgersia flower for?
Rodgersia will flower from mid-spring to mid-summer.
Each flower bunch will last a number of weeks, with new flower clusters rising up from the foliage each week.
Flowering Rodgersia Plants
A flowering rodgersia plant will add a bit of flair to any garden.
It’s all the better that it will happily flower and thrive in damp, shady, sheltered locations in the garden.
Rodgersia plants can be a bit slow to grow, but once they’re established they will last for many years. Their rhizome will naturally spread underground or it can be grown from seed.
Let us know your experiences with rodgersia in the comment section below, and feel free to drop any questions.
