Ligularia
This moisture-loving member of the Asteraceae family is native to most of eastern Asia and named for its “tongue-shaped” leaves. Whether planted as a specimen or en masse in a semishaded border, on the forest’s edge or by water, Ligularia will dazzle onlookers with its lush foliage and showy flowers
The scrumptious and bold gathering of huge kidney-shaped coarsely toothed leaves, each spanning over a foot across, adopts a swank dark chocolaty maroon polish. Manifesting purple undersides, the lavish foliage needs morning sun to retain its rich coloration, otherwise they turn more green as summer progresses. Hefty purplish black stems hoist daring golden orange daisy-like flowers about a foot aloft the lush leafy foundation. This tropical-looking ‘Othello’ sport emphasizes extraordinary texture, thwarts those pesky deer and luxuriates in cool moist recesses with shelter from hot afternoon sun. (PP#16,113)
Blooms July–August
Size: 3' 0" high x 2' 0" – 3' 0" wide.
Hardy to zone 4.
Ligularia dentata ‘Franz Feldweber’ (P-2287)
Each $12.50
A spectacular twinkling array of loose starry corymbs, sumptuous onyx, mahogany and jade-green foliar hues plus a grand persona are ′Franz Feldweber′s claim to fame. The beefy, long-stemmed cordate leaves shape a dapper low-growing polished mound that upholds thick, nearly leafless deep red stalks and copious cocoa-centered golden-yellow daisy-like flowers. Celebrated as the darkest-leafed of the species, this supposed ′Desdemona′ sport is an imposing perennial for moist woodland peripheries, pond edges and mixed borders with dappled light and Hakonechloa nearby.
Blooms July–mid-September
Size: 3' 0" high x 2' 0" – 2-1/2' wide.
Hardy to zone 4.
Ligularia przewalskii (P-0155)
Each $10.00
Stately yellow flower spikes on slender black stems tower above the handsome, palmately cut, dark green foliage of this elegant Chinese native. Impressive yet undemanding, try planting it with Aruncus ‘Zweiweltenkind’.
Blooms July–August.
Size: 5' 0" – 6' 0" high x 3' 0" wide.
Hardy to zone 5.
Ligularia stenocephala ‘The Rocket’ (P-0101)
Each $11.50
While stenocephala refers to the “narrow-headed flower,” ‘The Rocket’ sums up the form of this easily cultivated moisture-loving Ligularia, as well as the charged energy it inspires. The large leaves are Kelly-green, heart-shaped and coarsely serrated along the margins. Strong shoots, which emerge in the spring, unfurl to create a verdant underlayer for the clear yellow racemes to blast through on their way to 5 ft. high altitudes. Projecting a prominent textural presence, it will sparkle at water’s edge, beneath woodland canopies or in damp shady borders alongside Rodgersia.
Blooms July–August
Size: 5' 0" high x 3' 0" wide.
Hardy to zone 5.
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