Read an annotated information sheet profile here with information on growth, leaf decoration, flowers and beautiful Rodgersia species. More than 20 tips explain how to properly plant and care for display leaf perennials.
How do you plant and care for show-leaf perennials?
Autumn and spring are suitable as leaf planting times. Planted in a wind-protected, partially shaded location, they thrive in fresh, moist, nutrient-rich soil. Water regularly, fertilize annually and prune in late winter or spring. Propagation occurs through division or root cuttings.
Profile
- Scientific name: Rodgersia
- Family: Saxifragaceae
- Genus: Record sheets with 6 species
- Occurrence: East Asia
- Growth type: Perennial
- Growth height: 50 cm to 150 cm
- Leaf: lobed, pinnate
- Flower: panicle
- Fruit: Capsule
- Root: Rhizome
- Winter hardiness: hardy
- Toxicity: non-toxic
Growth
The plant name Schaublatt stands for the small but fine Rodgersia genus with six magnificent species. In their East Asian home regions, the perennials inhabit dim forests, partially shaded bushes, shady slopes and rocky crevices with little light. The generic name says it all. Rodgersias display an ornamental foliage and delight as foliage plants with decorative flowers and fruit clusters. You can read key data worth knowing about record sheet growth here:
- Growth type: perennial with large leaves and delicate inflorescences.
- Growth habit: upright, spreading to broad-spreading, clumpy.
- Growth height: 40 cm to 120 cm, during the flowering period up to 160 cm.
- Growth width: 50 cm to 100 cm.
- Root system: Rhizomes with short runners.
- Gardenically interesting properties: hardy, easy to care for, long-lasting, non-toxic, bee-friendly, representative eye-catcher, summer shade bloomer, autumnal fruit decoration.
Video: Stroll through the display leaf garden
Leaf
The main attraction in the majestic appearance of all Rodgersia species are leaves with these characteristics:
- Leaf shape: petiolate, palmately lobed up to a maximum of 10 pinnates.
- Leaf edge: sawn, notched or distinctively serrated.
- Leaf size: 20 cm to 50 cm.
- Special feature: bronze-red to dark red leaf shoots.
- Leaf color: dark green
Bloom
In spring and summer, these inflorescences tower above the pretty foliage:
- Inflorescence: long-stemmed, pyramidal-shaped panicle with myriads of small individual flowers.
- Single flower: five-flowered, intensely fragrant.
- Flower colors: greenish-white, creamy white to light pink.
- Flowering time: May/June to July/August.
- flower ecology: hermaphrodite
- Pollinators: wild bees, bumblebees, honey bees, butterflies.
Fruit
Withered leaf flowers turn into spherical capsule fruits with two to three chambers. It contains numerous, extremely delicate seeds. Display leaf seeds are normal and light germinators. The decorative, reddish-white seed heads adorn Rodgersia perennials well into winter, provided they do not fall victim to premature pruning.
Sheet species
The name of a type of record leaf gives an insightful indication of the leaf shape. The foliage of the chestnut leaf resembles the leaf of a horse chestnut. The following table presents the top 3 Rodgersia species in more detail:
| Sheet species | Chestnut leaf leaf | Pinnate Leaf Leaf | Elderberry Leaf Leaf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Rodgersia aesculifolia | Rodgersia pinnata | Rodgersia sambucifolia |
| Growth height | 70-160 cm | 40-120 cm | 90-100 cm |
| Leaf shape | palmately lobed | 3-9 piece feathered | mismatched |
| Flowering time | May to August | June to July | June to July |
| Flower color | light pink | cream | white |
Other display leaf species are just beginning their careers as ornamental plants. These include: stalked leaflet (Rodgersia podophylla) with distinctively serrated leaves, Hinris leaflet (Rodgersia henrici) with delicate pink flowers and slightly overlapping leaves, and the rare Nepal leaflet (Rodgersia nepalensis), which can only be found in the Himalayas.
Planting display leaf
The best planting time for display leaf perennials is in autumn and spring. At this time, you can buy the best ready-to-plant Rodgersia as a native species or variety in nurseries and garden centers. Sowing is easy and inexpensive. Where and how to plant a display leaf correctly, read here:
Sowing – Tips & Tricks
Chestnut-leaved display leaf and its relatives provide the hobby gardener with germinating seeds. The best tips for growing on the windowsill and direct sowing:
- Sowing time window: March to May under glass, May to June in beds.
- Preparation: mix very fine seeds with bird sand for even sowing.
- Growing on the windowsill: Spread the leaf seeds thinly on moist coconut soil, just press the light germinator and spray with a fine spray (transparent hood accelerates germination).
- Direct sowing: scatter seed-sand mixture in a protected location, sieve thinly, press down and spray with water from the hand sprayer.
- Germination time: at a constant 20° Celsius within a few days.
Location
A display leaf would like to be planted at this location:
- In a place protected from the wind in partial shade or light shade.
- Normal garden soil, ideally low in lime, humus, rich in nutrients, fresh to moist, but without waterlogging.
Potential display leaf locations are: edge of forest, under trees, on the bank of a pond or stream, on the side of garden walls facing away from the sun, privacy hedges and Benje hedges.
Planting Tips
When planted correctly, a display leaf gains in floral presence from year to year. After taking a look at these planting tips, you will know all the important steps for the perfect start to a long perennial life for Rodgersias:
- Place the leaf root ball in water for 20 to 30 minutes before planting.
- The planting pit is twice as large as the potted root ball.
- As a starting fertilizer, mix the excavated soil with horn shavings (€52.00 on Amazon) or compost soil.
- Maintain a planting distance of at least 80 cm, ideally 100 cm.
Extra tip: The slowly growing display leaf only gradually closes the initially large distance to its plant neighbors. Bulb flowers and annual flowers are useful as gap fillers during the transitional period.
Excursus
Beautiful display leaf plant neighbors
If display leaf species stay to themselves, boredom becomes rampant in the perennial bed. With the right plant neighbors, creative variety can be added to the wild, romantic appearance. Premium combination partners are: Golden sedge (Carex elata), forest cranesbill (Geranium sylvaticum), spotted lungwort 'Opal' (Pulmonaria saccharata), glossy shield fern (Polystichum aculeatum) or filigree fern (Polystichum setiferum). Decoratively, the foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia) lies as a ground cover at the feet of a display leaf.
Maintain record sheet
Proper watering prevents drought stress and improves the stability of broad, spreading display-leaf perennials. Annual fertilization provides the necessary growth energy. Pruning should not be done too early. Vegetative propagation and rejuvenation go hand in hand. Rodgersia perennials that are susceptible to late frost are grateful for light winter protection. Well-founded planting tips for quick reference:
Pouring
- Water the leaflet regularly as soon as the soil surface has dried.
- Watering technique for improved stability: water thoroughly, allow to dry until the next watering.
- Suitable irrigation water: collected rainwater, skimmed pond water, stale tap water.
Fertilize
- Start fertilization: fertilize in March with 3 liters of compost per m² and water again.
- Optional: Spray the leaf root disc with comfrey manure in September to strengthen winter hardiness.
- Mulch all year round with nettle leaves, grass clippings or compost soil.
Cutting
- Best time for pruning: late winter or early spring.
- Cut the leaf with a knife, scissors or perennial sickle until it is hand-width above the ground.
Propagation
The record sheet is easy and uncomplicated to multiply by dividing it. Positive side effect: Division makes rotten perennials lively again. How to do it right:
- Share the record sheet every 2 to 3 years.
- The best time is in autumn or spring.
- Dig up the root ball and cut it in half or divide it further.
- Plant sections at the current and new location.
Alternatively, use a sharp spade to cut off a few rhizomes for use as root cuttings. This procedure has the advantage that you do not have to completely dig up the native mother plant. Suitable root cuttings are at least 5 cm long and have 2 to 3 eyes.
Wintering
Given its robust frost hardiness of up to -28° Celsius, the record sheet does not require extensive winter protection. However, late frosts can cause problems for fresh shoots. A protective cover of the root disc with leaves and needle twigs takes the fear out of late ground frosts.
Popular varieties
Beyond the Rodgersia original species, these beautiful display leaf varieties are applying for a place in the perennial bed:
- Redskin: Elder-leaved display leaf, violet-red stems, prominent leaf veins, pink flower spikes from June to July, height up to 140 cm.
- Chocolate Wings: Pinnate leaf, chocolate-brown leaf shoots, initially pink flowers turn red, height 50-80 cm.
- Bronze Peacock: compact Rodgersia pinnata variety with bronze-colored leaf shoots and pink flowers in summer, height 70-80 cm.
- Top Dancer: Rodgersia premium variety, particularly robust and stable, cream-colored summer flowers, height 70-130 cm.
- Pagoda: rare Japanese variety that causes a sensation with its magnificent wine-red autumn color in partial shade and under trees, height 80-130 cm.
FAQ
Which types of flowers are suitable as initial gap fillers in the display leaf bed?
With a minimum planting distance of 80 centimeters, there is a yawning emptiness between freshly planted display leaves. It takes some time for the perennials to reach their broad, spreading habit. To bridge the gap decoratively, flowers that remain small are planted to fill gaps. Bulb flowers are ideal for partial shade, such as anemone (Anemone nemorosa), larkspur (Corydalis solida) and harebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica). Recommended annual flowers include busy lilies (Impatiens), daisies (Brachyscome iberidifolia) and snapdragons (Antirrhinum).
Can you plant Chestnut-leaved Showleaf on the pond bank?
In its Asian home regions, chestnut-leaved currant (Rodgersia aesculifolia) prefers to colonize the banks of rivers, bodies of water and streams. These location preferences make the display leaf the ideal plant for the pond bank. Because the perennial thrives best in humus-rich soil, loamy soil should be enriched with compost when planting. Please choose the location on a moist bank area that is not constantly under water.
Do leaf perennials tolerate bark mulch?
No, bark mulch is not suitable for display leaf perennials. As mulch, the pieces of bark remove important nutrients from the soil. Organic fertilizer is better suited to meet nutrient needs. Compost, horse manure and leaf compost are well suited.
We planted the display leaf in the wrong place three years ago. Is transplanting possible?
You can transplant a display leaf within the first five years of existence. With each additional year, the probability of failure after a change of location increases significantly. The best time is in autumn so that the perennial can still take root well in the new location. Thanks to this choice of date, the plant will start next spring with a vital growth lead. Cut off all stems before digging up the root ball.
