Ligularia

Actually, I think this is one of those plants that has changed names, but I still call them Ligularias since I can't remember the new one. As an aside, I read in Horticulture magazine the other day that Asters are no longer Asters but some multi-sylable name that starts with 'S' that I'll never remember. If it looks like an Aster, I'm going to call it an Aster.
But back to the Ligularias. This first one grew here for a number of years before it succumbed to a hard winter. It isn't reliably hardy this far north, but in a protected place it did just fine for awhile. The name is Ligularia tussilaginea cristata.


This next one is 'Leopard' because of it's spots which some leaves display more than others. This picture seems to have been taken when it was less spotted. It is also marginal here in zone 6, but we don't seem to have any trouble with it. It grows in a bed with the next two that are pictured along with hostas, toad lilies and a few other miscellaneous shade plants. This one seems to tolerate drought better than they do, though, maybe because it is a small plant, less than a foot tall. I've never seen these first two flower.

Ligularia japonica and the one that follows are both dependable fall bloomers with lovely daisy-like bright yellow/gold blooms.

This is my current favorite, Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawfore'. The leaves are green toned red on top and dark red/burgundy on the bottoms. A little sun intensified the color, but too much sun will just give you a plant that spends the afternoons wilted. The ligularias are truly plants that will take a lot of shade and still bloom freely.

And here are the blooms from 'Britt Marie Crawford'. They are fairly typical for Ligularias. This one and the previous one are larger plants, maybe up to 2 feet tall and the same across.

Although the blooms resemble Black Eyed Susans, there are many on each scape. Not sure how they might do as cut flowers since there aren't all that many per plant and I have so many other things to pick this time of year.

Jane