Chrysosplenium macrophyllum

Imagine crossing bergenia, tiarella and Stretch Armstrong and you can envision Chrysosplenium macrophyllum. This strange Chinese saxifrage relative forms 6" tall x 8" wide open rosettes of bergenia-shaped hairy green leaves. In early spring, the rosettes are topped with panicles of UFO-like (unidentified flowering object) flowers that closely resemble a steamrolled foamflower. After flowering, the rosettes send out alien-like above-ground, well-behaved stolons, which root out to form new rosettes...4' wide in 5 years (NC)...moist soil is preferred. To quote plantsman John Elsley, "For those who like this kind of thing, this is the kind of thing they'll really like."