Mukdenia Crimson Fans

A rare herbaceous perennial, this exceptional woodland cultivar, commonly known as Crimson Fans, delivers sensational foliage interest from Spring through to late Autumn. A close relative of Heuchera, it forms a low, tidy, spreading mound of thickly textured, palmate leaves that resemble large, jagged maple leaves. The plant undergoes a spectacular multi-stage colour transition. In early Spring, sprays of delicate, starry, creamy-white flowers emerge on short, upright stems just before the foliage fully unfurls. The fan-shaped leaves then emerge with a bronze-green hue before shifting to a deep, glossy mid-green for early Summer. By mid-summer, a striking crimson-red pigmentation begins to creep inward from the leaf tips, culminating in a dramatic, fiery claret-red display across the entire plant as autumn temperatures drop. This slow-growing, low-maintenance choice spreads gently via short underground rhizomes to create a dense, premium groundcover. It is notably resistant to deer and rabbits, though the fresh, emerging spring foliage appreciates basic protection from slugs and snails in damp conditions.

Site: Sheltered, woodland type conditions
Soil: Deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Dislikes waterlogged winter ground
Position: Partial to full shade
Season of interest: tarry white spring flowers followed by shifting bronze, green, and brilliant crimson autumn foliage before going completely winter deciduous.
Hardiness: Very hardy
Height: 1-1.5ft (30-40cm) Spread: 1.5-2ft (45-60cm)

Image 1 by K M cropped, and licensed under CC BY 2.0
Image 2 & 3 by F. D. Richards cropped and licensed under CC BY 2.0