Rodgersia - Bold Look In A Shady Garden

Rodgersia

Rodgersia (two forms) is an outstanding summer flowering perennial grown for its broad foliage and showy flowers. Rodgersia has one key requirement: consistent soil moisture through the spring and summer months. Don’t attempt to grow this bold perennial unless its water needs is totally satisfied. Plants prefer wet, boggy feet (roots).

Rodgersias (Rodgersia pinnata) sport bold pinnately compound leaves that emerge with a dark bronze tint. Leaves measure more than a foot wide and 3-4 foot high perennial. In early summer, white bloom panicles rise 2 to 3 feet above the foliage and bloom over 3 to 4 weeks. 

A secondary species, Chestnut-leaved Rodgersia (R. aesculifolia), is another clump form with bold green foliage and bears creamy-white flowers in mid-summer (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8).

Varieties of rodgersia: 'Chocolate Wing' -- cherry blossom pink and cream blooms); ‘Alba’- white flowers and dark green leaves/bronze veining.

Rodgersia prosper in partial day sun tor light shade all day. Site them nearby water features like within the splash-zone of a waterfall. They grow exceptionally well along woodland creeks.

When properly sited, the foliage remains blemish-free all season long. Disease and pest problems are rare if growing conditions are ideal. Deer and rabbits rarely trouble them

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Planting in containers: plant a single crown into a 3 to 5 gallon size container filled with humus-rich potting soil. To restrict most water loss, line the bottom of the container with plastic shopping bags. This reduces irrigation needs that saves on your monthly water bill.

Inkberry Holly A Worthy Substitute For Boxwood

Ilex glabra 'Densa'

Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra), also called gallberry, is a slow-growing broadleaf evergreen shrub (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Inkberry grows to 5-8 feet tall and, if not pruned, may spread by root suckers to form colonies. 

Inkberry is native  from eastern Canada to Florida, west to Louisiana.  The dark green glossy leaves (to 1.5” long) have smooth margins and are spineless. Foliage stays attractive in winter unless temperatures dip below 0 °F. Greenish white flowers appear in spring, but are mostly inconspicuous.

Inkberry grows in average, medium to wet, acidic soils and in full sun to partial shade. It is one of few holly species that tolerates wet soils. Inkberries are dioecious (separate male and female plants). Female plants need a male pollinator to produce black,  3/8 inch diameter, berry-like (drupe) fruits that mature in early fall and persist throughout late winter into early spring unless consumed by birds and other wildlife.

Inkberry holly is a popular hedging shrub that tends to grow faster than a boxwood. Prune in early spring before new growth begins. Plants generally need minimal pruning unless used as a hedge. Remove root suckers as they form. Many landscape cultivars do not root sucker as badly as species. 
Leading cultivars are 'Densa', 'Shamrock', and 'Nordic'

No serious insect or disease problems trouble inkberry hollies. Leaf spotting occurs in wet summers. Spider mites may appear, especially during dry spells. In high pH (alkaline) soils, foliar chlorosis (yellowing) may happen.

Mass or group several inkberry hollies as a shrub border, a low foundation planting. Species inkberries will naturalize in moist woodland gardens or near streams or ponds.

Honey derived from inkberry flowers is a highly-rated. It is locally marketed in certain parts of the southeastern U.S. Dried and roasted inkberry leaves were first used by Native Americans to brew "Appalachian tea" a black tea-like drink.