I just snapped this photo of the evergreen perennial, Rohdea chinensis ‘Green Panda’ in full fruit. For those who have grown Rohdea japonica, you’ll notice the fruit on Rohdea chinensis is orange with pointed tips as opposed to red and more oval in Rohdea japonica. In the ground, Rohdea chinensis has longer, more pointed leaves and a more spiky growth habit.
I have the traditional rhodea and have never cut it back for the 10 years it has been in the ground. Some of the leaves look ratty and I can’t see the berries. Can I cut it back and if so, how much can I take off? Thanks.
Most of our rohdea show the fruit without any leaf removal, but on old clump, it would be easy to simply remove a few selected leaves to enable you to enjoy the fruit, which remains for months. Keep in mind that evergreen plants like rohdea hold their leaves for 3-4 years and indeed the old leaves can look tattered, so when removing leaves, start at the bottom with the old leaves. You’ll be amazed how much better the clumps will look.
Thank you for the helpful information.