Rodgersia Podophylla (Saxifragaceae)

Rodgersia is a big, bold plant that is grown mostly for its large and striking foliage. The leaves are palmately compound with five deeply veined leaves that look like a big oak leaf. They emerge in the spring a golden bronze color, and go green in the summer when it puts up a stalk of small, cream colored, astilbe-like flowers from June to August. In the fall the leaves turn a bronze red. A great plant all season.

It is native to wooded stream banks in Korea and Japan. Does best in moist, cool soils and part shade. Spreads from the crown with rhixomenous roots, but not in an invasive way. Rodgersia is named for Admiral John Rodgers who”discovered” it and brought the plant back from an expedition to the Pacific. Another terrible handle. I hope it has a better name somewhere.