Ligularia dentata ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’: Lovely, Late Summer Leopard Plant

Ligularia dentata ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’ in the Secret Garden

Well hello again, Secret Garden. It’s nice to see you. I’ve been away so much this summer, I hardly recognize you. You’re a bit wild and unkempt, it’s true, but still, you look so lovely. Plentiful rain has done wonders for the garden this growing season. Just look at Ligularia dentata ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’! Divided last season, she’s already twice her original size.

Leopard Plant is a lovely perennial for late-season drama in part to full shade. A statuesque beauty —2-3′ tall and wide with large, leathery, deep maroon leaves— Ligularia dentata is grown primarily as a foliage plant in my Secret Garden. But in the late summer —August through mid-September here in Vermont— she bursts into glorious, golden bloom. I love to combine this plant with other dramatic foliage; Lamium maculatum, Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’, and Hakonechloa macra, to name a few. Hardy in USDA zones 4-8, Ligularia dentata prefers moist to wet soil and protection from scorching afternoon sun and desiccating wind. Given the right conditions and room to grow, this beautiful leopard will add a touch of drama to last throughout the growing season.

Daisy Rays, Gold as the Late Summer Sun

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