Ligularia is a large - leafed perennial that loves grow in persistently damp spots . Although known for its foliation , ligularia often blooms golden flowers .

With elephantine , coarse - textured farewell , perennial ligularia is a leafage - heavy improver toshade gardens . The flora ’s leave are sometimes three-sided , sometimes kidney - work , and tend to be toothed around the edges . As they egress , the parting of many genus Ligularia variety rise a rich burgundy color . Depending on the character , this bass hue may stay throughout the season or fade to a deep green .

In addition to the leafage , ligularia has two type of blossom : magniloquent stalks with several small flowers reminiscent of bottlebrush or loose stalk of erratic , gravid , daisy - like blossoms . No matter their manikin , the petals of ligularia flowers are always a smart gilded coloring material .

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Credit: Denny Schrock

Where to Plant Ligularia

Ligularia is audacious in Zones 4 - 9 . When consider where to plant genus Ligularia , look for wet - retentive territory ; you may even think placing it alongside awater garden . Given its large size , dramatic leafage , and vivid flowers , ligularia makes an eye - catching assertion in the heart of a border or around a pool . Ideally , this perennial should be localise in fond sun . Very marvelous flowering varieties of ligularia will likely flop in too much shade because the flower will adulterate toward sunshine .

How and When to Plant Ligularia

The optimum sentence to implant genus Ligularia is either other outflow or early fall . In spring , novel flora receive the ignitor and warm weather they require for a successful arise season . If planted in the evenfall , they have time to establish roots in the soil before the next farm time of year starts .

Remember that ligularia needs invariably moist stain , so site it in a billet that accommodate sloshed condition . labour a hollow about the same width and depth as the planting container . Remove the ligularia and more or less loosen the root from the radical testicle before placing it in the hole . Backfill with soil and tamping bar light . Water deeply double a week when first planted and then once a calendar week as needed .

Ligularia Care Tips

The most important thing to know about growing ligularia is thatit requires constant wet . aside from the supplementary watering , ligularia does n’t need much maintenance .

Light

Sunlightneeds for ligularia vary , depending on your overall goal for the garden . The best localization will receive partial Dominicus , but ligularia can also manage full tad , preferably dappled . However , with less sun , much of the Burgundy wine in the leaf will blow over to recondite green , and the blossoms will be sparser .

Soil and Water

These perennials preferrich , constitutional soil . If require , tally compost to enrich the ground in your garden . Ligularia needs supplementary water throughout the summer to prevent wilting , specially in affectionate mood . Unless the territory is consistently damp , ligularia will in all probability wilt almost day by day in areas with raging summers .

Temperature and Humidity

Ligularia is native to Asia — specifically Siberia , Japan , and China — so it prefers a moderately strong climate with a temperature range of 60 ° F to 75 ° F . When temperatures climb above 75 ° F , ligularia may droop . The plant ’s foliage is sensitive to excess heat — another rationality it prefers shadowed spots — but it should recover as temperatures cool .

Ligularia also enjoys humidity but does n’t require it in the air as long as the soil is consistently moist . If your genus Ligularia looks limp or wilted and temperature are not above 75 ° F , it may be suffering from a lack of moisture .

Fertilizer

If the grease where you establish ligularia is humus- and alimental - plenteous , fertiliser is n’t needed . tote up peat moss , aneco - friendly alternative , or pearl meal to the dirt before planting , andadd a bed of organic composteach yr .

Pruning

Prune dead blossom from ligularia during the growing season , but waitress until the first freeze to cut it back for winter . Otherwise , ligularia does n’t need regular pruning .

Potting and Repotting Ligularia

If you grow genus Ligularia in a container , it should be at least 12 inches in diam . Add about 1 inch of land over the ancestor . fertilise monthly to keep the soil rich , but do n’t overfertilize or lend fertilizer during the abeyant winter calendar month . When the plant ’s radical start to grow out of the container , repot it in a big one .

Pests and Problems

Ligularia does n’t face many problems , but mutual garden pests like snail and slugs can do equipment casualty since they chew on the leave-taking . Use a dependable method tokeep punch out of your industrial plant .

How to Propagate Ligularia

Ligularia can be propagated by seed or division . If ligularia is already present in your garden , circularize by separate the works is leisurely and less fourth dimension - consuming than growing from come .

Propagating Ligularia by Division

Ligularia can bedividedin early leap as new leafage emerge or in recent summer when the plant is going dormant . If you divide in the spring , the new plants draw the benefit of a quick produce season . If you divide in late summertime or early fall , the plants benefit from a lengthy dormancy during which they can establish potent root .

To propagate , dig up the parent plant and tease apart the ascendent . practice a sharp blade to split the plant at the root crown , ensure each division has viable shoots . If you want to boost root growth , point the roots in a mixture of 50 percent weewee and 50 percent plant food and wait to implant your specimens until the origin are about 2 inches long .

To plant a segmentation , dig a hollow just large enough to suit the root ball , place the plant , and backfill the soil without covering the root crown . Tamp the soil into place and water thoroughly .

‘Britt Marie Crawford’ ligularia

Credit: Denny Schrock

Propagating Ligularia by Seed

To grow genus Ligularia from germ , prepare a pot or growing tray withsoilthat will stay moist enough to encourage sprouting — a blend of pot territory , peat moss , and perliteis a good option . impregnate the soil and iron out your ligularia seed onto the surface , covering them only slightly with more grease . obnubilate the dirt and hatch the pot with plastic wrapper to retain as much moisture as possible .

send the seed where they receive visible radiation but where temperature remain between 55 ° F and 65 ° atomic number 9 . The seeds may take as little as two week or as long as six weeks to spud . Once the seedling are a few inches tall , they are quick for planting .

Types of Ligularia

‘Britt Marie Crawford’ Ligularia

‘ Britt Marie Crawford ’ is one of the most usually planted ligularia varieties . It has purple colouring and a solid display of rosiness each twelvemonth on plants that grow to 3 fundament marvellous in Zones 4 - 8 .

‘The Rocket’ Ligularia

Ligularia has triangular - toothed leaves and foliation that first appears burgundy but pass to thick green . strive over 5 foundation tall , ‘ The Rocket ’ promise some of the tall flower spikes amongst ligularia . Zones 4 - 8 are idealistic for growing this variety .

Ligularia Companion Plants

Daylily

Daylilyare so leisurely to grow , you ’ll often find them in ditches and fields . The plant ’s flower look very delicate , with cornet - shaped blooms in myriad colors . Although each flower lasts a single day , superior cultivars expect legion buds on each flower stalk , so bloom time is long , peculiarly if you deadhead daily . Daylily ’s strappy foliage may be evergreen or deciduous .

Globe Thistle

Globe thistleis one of the most elegantly dark-skinned plant around . Large Ball of steel - patrician blossom emerge in midsummer with coarse , greyish - fleeceable folio . The alone blooms make first-class cut peak , survive for weeks in a vase . earth thistle will reseed clean readily in the right conditions ; deadheading the flowers shortly after they fade will keep unwanted cattle ranch . The works thrives in Zones 3 - 10 .

Balloon Flower

Balloon flowerblooms have inflate bud that are fun to pop , and the blue - violet blossoms make bang-up gelded flowers . While blooms are most normally blue - reddish blue , balloon bloom also amount in pink or white . The plant ’s foliation turns absolved gold in autumn , so do n’t cut it down too too soon . Balloon flower tolerates calorie-free shade but not fuddled feet or drought . zona 4 - 9 are ideal for grow the plant .

Black-Eyed Susan

Add sunshine to your garden with a mass planting ofblack - eyed Susan . From midsummer , these tough native plant efflorescence in sun or light tone and mix in well with other perennial , annuals , and bush . magniloquent varieties look particularly endearing among shrubs , which in tour provide support for the stalk . Black - eyed Susan boom in Zones 3 - 11 .

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes , ligularia blossom draw in birds , butterfly stroke , and other pollinator .

Yes . Ligularia in the beginning had many patched variety , which is why it was calledleopard plant life . Now , there are few cultivar with spots .

Ligularia ' The Rocket . ‘Missouri Botanical Garden .

‘the rocket’ Ligularia

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

daylilies

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Globe Thistle

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

balloon flower

Credit: Marty Baldwin

black-eyed susan

Credit: Perry L. Struse