I first met ‘Bronze Peacock’ rodgersia while touring private gardens in Portland, Oregon. I was immediately smitten and knew I had to have it. More than a decade (and four more plants) later, my admiration for this plant has only grown stronger. This herbaceous perennial emerges from a creeping rhizomatous clump in spring with shiny, highly textured, deeply saturated russet/burgundy-colored leaves. The horse chestnut–like foliage gets much larger as it matures and then fades to green.

As the show-stopping (you could say peacocky) foliage emerges so do the flower spikes, which eventually rise 1 to 2 feet above the leaves. In my garden, the flowers open in early summer and continue for 6 to 8 weeks. The small floral clusters (reminiscent of Astilbe blossoms) are a treat for bees and hoverflies. They fade gracefully and require no deadheading. I keep the architectural seed heads in place until the following spring for both added interest and to alert me to the location of this deciduous plant. I also let the fallen autumn leaves stay on the soil for critter habitat until just before the new foliage appears in spring.

‘Bronze Peacock’ has thicker, more resilient leaves than other rodgersias I have grown and has not suffered from the severe weather swings in my Zone 7 garden. Just prior to the 110°F heat dome we experienced here in June 2021, I watered deeply, and all my plants weathered the event unscathed. They also returned unaffected after temperatures dropped to 8°F last winter. Most rodgersias are water lovers, detest full sun, and will wilt easily if not sited accordingly. I’ve found ‘Bronze Peacock’ is a bit more tolerant of full sun if placed where it gets an inch of weekly water in summer and no reflected heat. I top-dress my plants with compost for nutrients and to retain soil moisture. During the time I’ve grown this plant, it has never been damaged by slugs, bunnies, or deer.

‘Bronze Peacock’ has a long list of companion plants. I am particularly fond of pairing it with different textured buddies, like Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra and cvs., Zones 5–9), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia and cvs. Zones 5–9), small-leafed evergreens or perennials, and conifers—taking care to manage the rodgersia leaves so they do not shade its neighbors. ‘Bronze Peacock’ is a truly magnificent architectural workhorse in mixed plantings and bold groupings.

‘Bronze Peacock’ rodgersia Rodgersia pinnata ‘Bronze Peacock’ Zones: 5–8 Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moderately moist to wet, well-drained soil Native Range: China

Tina Dixon is a professional horticulturist with a passion for containers in Snohomish, Washington.

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