Ligularia Plant Care Guide: How to Grow Ligularia

Ligularia (Ligularia spp.) is an herbaceous perennial flower native to China and Japan. Other common names for this member of the Asteraceae family include leopard plant and goldenray. These popular shade plants have large, ornamental green foliage, many of which have notches around their leaf perimeters like Ligularia dentata. (Most native species also have spotted foliage.) Ligularia flowers in late summer with clusters of bright yellow flowers.

Ligularia plants are naturally deer-resistant, and their fragrant blooms will attract butterflies and other insects to your garden. It thrives in USDA hardiness zones five through eight.

There are over 150 species of ligularia. Here are some of the most popular ligularia plants.

1. 1. ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’: This cultivar showcases yellow-orange flowers blooming from dark long stems that look similar to daisies. These flowers prefer partial shade, and their glossy dark green leaves have serrated edges.
2. 2. ‘The Rocket’: This cultivar takes its name from its tall spires of bright yellow flowers. The rocket's foliage transitions from burgundy to deep green over the growing season. This variety prefers moist soil.
3. 3. ‘Desdemona’: This cultivar has bright yellow flower heads that have bumblebee-reminiscent patterns. The green leaves have purplish-red undersides.
4. 4. ‘Othello’: The ‘Othello’ cultivar is slightly more heat-tolerant than other ligularias. It blooms with dense clusters of golden-yellow flowers with deep mahogany foliage.
5. 5. ‘Dragon Wings’: ‘Dragon Wings’ are similar to ‘The Rocket’ variety, showcasing tall spires of yellow flowers. They have distinctive, large green leaves with deeply saw-toothed edges.

Plant ligularia in early spring or early fall. Planting in spring provides your newly-planted specimens with light and warmth during the growing season. Planting in the fall will allow your plant to establish strong roots before next year's growing season. In both cases, cover your plant's soil with mulch to retain moisture in the soil during the summer, and to protect your roots from frost in winter.

Ligularia is a mostly low-maintenance plant, but it’s important to set it up for success when first planting. Division is the best way to propagate these plants. Follow these simple steps to grow ligularia through divisions.

1. 1. Choose a location. Choose a spot in your garden that receives either full or part shade. Ligularia plants grow best in the shade, out of the full sun, so consider planting it in a shade garden.
2. 2. Prepare the soil. Most ligularia species prefer moist soil. Combine good quality potting soil with peat moss or bone meal in your container or planting spot. Amending the soil will help it retain moisture, which means you won't have to water your plants so regularly.
3. 3. Divide the parent plant. Tease the root ball of your ligularia apart with your fingers to prepare for splitting your plant. Shake off any extra soil. Split the root crown (where the roots meet the top of the soil) using a sharp knife, and divide your plant’s root ball into your desired number of clusters. These new divisions should have a couple of viable shoots and roots.
4. 4. Transplant the new division. Dig a hole large enough for the root ball of your new ligularia division. Place the roots in the hole and backfill with the soil mixture. When transplanting into the soil, be sure not to bury the top of the new plant’s root ball below the surface of the soil.
5. 5. Water immediately. Water immediately and refresh the soil's water every week.

Here are some additional tips for caring for your ligularia plants.

• Keep the soil moist. Ligularia can tolerate different soil types but prefers a neutral soil pH. The main concern is keeping the soil moist.
• Water weekly: Make sure to water ligularia deeply once a week. This plant needs plenty of moist, saturated soil to thrive. Consider planting ligularia in a water garden, where it will benefit from consistently moist soil and become quick growers.
• Monitor for pests: The primary problem ligularia faces is an attack from common garden pests. Slugs and snails can damage the plant's foliage, so keep an eye out for these pests and remove them.
• Keep in shade: The other major concern for ligularia to sun damage. Exposure to full sun will cause wilting in its large leaves. Plant your ligularia in a place with full shade.

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