A genus of flowering plants in the Saxifragaceae family. Rodgersia are herbaceous perennials originating from east Asia. R. podophylla is native to the island of Honshu in Japan and to Korea. All the other species are found in China, Tibet, and Nepal. The geographical ranges of all but R. nepalensis overlap each other.
In their native habitats they grow by streams and in shady moist woodland.
The strong leaf stems grow to an average height of about one metre but this depends on the variety and growing conditions. The spread of the compound leaves, especially of R. podophylla, can also be up to one metre making them architectural plants in cultivation. The flowering stems rise above the foliage and the panicles of flowers, although lacking true petals, are spectacular and colourful being white, cream, pink or red except in R. nepalensis which are greeny yellow.
The leaves of many varieties are attractive in the Spring when, grown in good light, they have a bronze or copper hue.This is especially beautiful in the Purdomi group of R. aesculifolia which keep a metallic sheen into early summer. In the autumn(fall), the leaves turn attractive shades of coppery-brown. The seed heads are also attractive, those of many R. pinnata are claret coloured which deepens as winter progresses.
