Mukdenia rossii ‘Crimson Fans’ is an unusual and distinctive looking perennial that slowly forms a low spreading clump of highly colorful foliage. The thickly textured, maple-like leaves pass through a series of changes during the growing season, and it is this shifting foliar pattern of green, red and gold that makes such an interesting and colorful addition to the garden.
The red leaf Mukdenia (as it is commonly called) produces early season flowers that are really more interesting than they are colorful. They emerge before the foliage in early spring, and may look a little stark until the bronze tinted foliage unfolds a week or so later. These flower stems push up to about 15 inches and carry multiple small creamy-white to dusky pale pink star-shaped florets packed onto a rounded head. While they are not the most colorful flowers you will ever have in your garden, they will be amongst the earliest, and provide a nice early start to the kaleidoscope of foliage color that will unfold throughout the rest of the year.
From the moment the bronze tinted leaves emerge from the earth in spring to the end of the gardening year in early winter, the display of leaf color constantly changes, and slowly builds to a crescendo of bright vivid red tipped leaves in summer and autumn. They start out at first a mild green with a reddish-bronze flush, and as the new growth gradually expands the edges of these leaves develop a faint red edge with bold red veins on their reverse side. As spring passes to early summer they become a pleasing mid-green color, and then as the temperatures rise, the tips become splashed with bright crimson and eventually the lobes of each leaf will intensify to scarlet. This unusual color persists for the rest of the summer and lasts into Fall. It is particularly striking in mild, moist autumns when the green parts turn to amber and gold.
This is a marvelous accent plant or slow forming ground cover for lightly shaded sites. It could be in a garden that is surrounded by tall buildings or a lightly shaded woodland area that has a deep, humus rich soil.
In smaller gardens it would make a great show at the front of beds and borders, or add sustained color interest to established beds of foundation planting. In fact, this would be a wonderful choice for beds on the east side of a dwelling or for putting into older borders that are scheduled for renovation. It would enjoy the shade from established specimens and would certainly create lots of color and curiosity for all who see it.
When planted in groups at 18 inch centers, it makes eye-catching and low maintenance ground cover.
If you're not sure you have exactly the right growing conditions, then I suggest you think about growing it in containers. Last summer, I put several plants in a wooden tub, and it was amazing how well it turned out. The broad colorful leaves looked wonderful against the wood and elevating them up off the ground helped to draw attention to the novelty of having something different to everyone else. The really nice thing about growing plants in containers is that it is easy to adjust and control the soil conditions, watering and nutrient input.
Flower Color: Creamy white shades
Foliage Color: Medium green shades, changing over to crimson red
Sun Tolerance: Partial Shade
Preferred Soil Type: Well-drained, moisture retentive (humus enriched), and reasonably fertile soil
USDA Plant Hardiness: Zone 4
Plant Height: 10”
Plant Spread: 12-15”
This striking variety is best grown in partial shade. The ideal location would be somewhere that gets a few hours morning sun to encourage growth and intensify the pigmentation. It will grow in shadier spots, but the diminishing light levels will cause the habit to be more open and loose, and the color won't be as spectacular.
This is a lovely and very special plant, but it is not one to "stick in", in any old way and forget about. Like most good things in life, it needs a little extra care and a bit more effort to create the right growing conditions for it to thrive.
It loves a cool, moist (but not soaking wet) root run. At planting time, we strongly suggest amending the planting site with plenty of organic matter. Soil conditioners containing peat, composted bark or other forms of humus should be worked into the planting site in copious amounts.
After planting, water them well (and regularly) until the new roots are established and it is growing well. A deep mulch (2 inches or so) of composted bark or hardwood will help to retain moisture and keep the soil cooler. If the weather becomes hot and dry, supplemental watering may be needed.
It thrives best in a neutral to slightly calcium rich soil - ideally one that is on the limey side of neutral (ph 6.5 to 7). It may be wise to do a soil ph test and, if needed, add some extra granulated lime to the planting site.
This coral bells (Heuchera) relative inhabits rocky limestone slopes and ravines in China and Korea. It flourishes in cracks on weathered cliffs, in gullies, accumulated river deposits and forest areas. It enjoys cool summers with high humidity.
The genus name is taken from the capital of Manchuria, Mukden (Sheng-king in China), and the species name commemorates a Croatian botanist, Ludwig Rossi (1850-1930), who studied ferns, mosses and associated flora. This variety ‘Crimson Fans’ is a selected form from Japan, with larger leaves and much improved coloring.
If you are looking for something entirely different, exciting and new, then this long-lasting colorful introduction is the plant for you. Just come over and visit us while we still have a limited quantity of this highly unusual beauty in stock now.
This is another excellent example of how Garden Splendor® brand of plants bring you “the best of the tried and true and the most promising of the exciting and new.”
Listen to what David Wilson, our Garden Splendor® expert, has to say about Mukdenia rossii ‘Crimson Fans’.
[Running Time: 4:12 minutes]
Mukdenia rossii ‘Crimson Fans’ is an unusual and distinctive looking perennial that slowly forms a low spreading clump of highly colorful foliage. The thickly textured, maple-like leaves pass through a series of changes during the growing season, and it is this shifting foliar pattern of green, red and gold that makes such an interesting and colorful addition to the garden.
The red leaf Mukdenia (as it is commonly called) produces early season flowers that are really more interesting than they are colorful. They emerge before the foliage in early spring, and may look a little stark until the bronze tinted foliage unfolds a week or so later. These flower stems push up to about 15 inches and carry multiple small creamy-white to dusky pale pink star-shaped florets packed onto a rounded head. While they are not the most colorful flowers you will ever have in your garden, they will be amongst the earliest, and provide a nice early start to the kaleidoscope of foliage color that will unfold throughout the rest of the year.
From the moment the bronze tinted leaves emerge from the earth in spring to the end of the gardening year in early winter, the display of leaf color constantly changes, and slowly builds to a crescendo of bright vivid red tipped leaves in summer and autumn. They start out at first a mild green with a reddish-bronze flush, and as the new growth gradually expands the edges of these leaves develop a faint red edge with bold red veins on their reverse side. As spring passes to early summer they become a pleasing mid-green color, and then as the temperatures rise, the tips become splashed with bright crimson and eventually the lobes of each leaf will intensify to scarlet. This unusual color persists for the rest of the summer and lasts into Fall. It is particularly striking in mild, moist autumns when the green parts turn to amber and gold.
This is a marvelous accent plant or slow forming ground cover for lightly shaded sites. It could be in a garden that is surrounded by tall buildings or a lightly shaded woodland area that has a deep, humus rich soil.
In smaller gardens it would make a great show at the front of beds and borders, or add sustained color interest to established beds of foundation planting. In fact, this would be a wonderful choice for beds on the east side of a dwelling or for putting into older borders that are scheduled for renovation. It would enjoy the shade from established specimens and would certainly create lots of color and curiosity for all who see it.
When planted in groups at 18 inch centers, it makes eye-catching and low maintenance ground cover.
If you're not sure you have exactly the right growing conditions, then I suggest you think about growing it in containers. Last summer, I put several plants in a wooden tub, and it was amazing how well it turned out. The broad colorful leaves looked wonderful against the wood and elevating them up off the ground helped to draw attention to the novelty of having something different to everyone else. The really nice thing about growing plants in containers is that it is easy to adjust and control the soil conditions, watering and nutrient input.
Flower Color: Creamy white shades
Foliage Color: Medium green shades, changing over to crimson red
Sun Tolerance: Partial Shade
Preferred Soil Type: Well-drained, moisture retentive (humus enriched), and reasonably fertile soil
USDA Plant Hardiness: Zone 4
Plant Height: 10”
Plant Spread: 12-15”
This striking variety is best grown in partial shade. The ideal location would be somewhere that gets a few hours morning sun to encourage growth and intensify the pigmentation. It will grow in shadier spots, but the diminishing light levels will cause the habit to be more open and loose, and the color won't be as spectacular.
This is a lovely and very special plant, but it is not one to "stick in", in any old way and forget about. Like most good things in life, it needs a little extra care and a bit more effort to create the right growing conditions for it to thrive.
It loves a cool, moist (but not soaking wet) root run. At planting time, we strongly suggest amending the planting site with plenty of organic matter. Soil conditioners containing peat, composted bark or other forms of humus should be worked into the planting site in copious amounts.
After planting, water them well (and regularly) until the new roots are established and it is growing well. A deep mulch (2 inches or so) of composted bark or hardwood will help to retain moisture and keep the soil cooler. If the weather becomes hot and dry, supplemental watering may be needed.
It thrives best in a neutral to slightly calcium rich soil - ideally one that is on the limey side of neutral (ph 6.5 to 7). It may be wise to do a soil ph test and, if needed, add some extra granulated lime to the planting site.
This coral bells (Heuchera) relative inhabits rocky limestone slopes and ravines in China and Korea. It flourishes in cracks on weathered cliffs, in gullies, accumulated river deposits and forest areas. It enjoys cool summers with high humidity.
The genus name is taken from the capital of Manchuria, Mukden (Sheng-king in China), and the species name commemorates a Croatian botanist, Ludwig Rossi (1850-1930), who studied ferns, mosses and associated flora. This variety ‘Crimson Fans’ is a selected form from Japan, with larger leaves and much improved coloring.
If you are looking for something entirely different, exciting and new, then this long-lasting colorful introduction is the plant for you. Just come over and visit us while we still have a limited quantity of this highly unusual beauty in stock now.
This is another excellent example of how Garden Splendor® brand of plants bring you “the best of the tried and true and the most promising of the exciting and new.”
Listen to what David Wilson, our Garden Splendor® expert, has to say about Mukdenia rossii ‘Crimson Fans’.
[Running Time: 4:12 minutes]