Ornamental · Asteraceae
Ligularia
Ligularia dentata
In damp shade, the leopard plant unfurls huge rounded leaves and lifts tall daisy spires.
Partial shade
Every 2–4 days
USDA 3–8
3–4 ft · 0.9–1.2 m
Overview
Ligularia, the leopard plant, is a bold-leaved perennial in the daisy family, and up close its large rounded leaves are the first thing to catch the eye. From that broad mound of foliage rise tall stalks topped with yellow and orange flowers, each one a daisy in form. It is a plant of cold country, standing through winters as far down as zone 3.
The wide leaves tell you what it wants. That much leaf surface needs soil kept damp to wet and never dry, and in full sun the blades scorch at the edges and flop from their stalks, worst of all where summers turn hot. Set in a cool, moist, sheltered spot, the clump firms up and holds its shape as a long-lived, steady mound.
The cultivars change the color and carriage of leaf and flower. Some leaves darken to a purple-black that holds all season, while other plants lift their flowers on dark spires that stand well above the foliage. All want the same damp shade, so the choice is simply whether the leaf or the bloom draws the eye first.
Care
The short version: part to full shade in rich soil kept constantly moist to wet, cover from direct sun on hot afternoons so the leaves stay firm, and a clean cutback once the foliage fades.
Light
Ligularia holds its best form in part to full shade. It takes deep shade far better than open sun, and in hot-summer regions a spot out of the harsh afternoon light keeps the wide leaf blades from scorching at the edges and flopping from their stalks.
Water
The broad leaves demand constantly moist to wet soil that never dries out, met by deep watering every 2 to 4 days in warm weather. The blades may still go limp on a hot afternoon over damp ground, then draw firm and upright again once the day cools.
Soil
Its roots run best in rich, humusy ground dark with organic matter that holds water well. The plant takes clay, loam, or sand as long as the soil stays moist, and it grows across a wide pH from 6.0 to 8.0.
Temperature
Ligularia is cold-hardy to a bitter -40°F (-40°C) and holds up to around 86°F (30°C). Heat is what limits it, not cold, so the leaves crisp and fade where summers run hot and dry.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor air suits it, so there is no number to hit. Moisture at the roots does the real work, keeping the wide leaves firm and full through the heat of summer.
Feeding
A balanced fertilizer through the growing season feeds it, or a top-dressing of compost worked over the crown in spring. Richer, darker soil fills out the heavy, broad-leaved growth.
Pruning
The spent flower stalks come off after bloom, and the tired, fading leaves are cleared away. The whole plant is then cut to the ground in late fall or early spring, leaving room for fresh leaves to unfurl.
Size & spacing
A mature clump reaches 3 to 4 feet (91 to 122 cm) tall, with the mound of foliage spreading 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm) across. That much room lets the broad, rounded leaves open flat without crowding each other.
When to plant
Ligularia is a cool-season perennial that comes back on its own each year. Seed is started in late winter, plants set out in spring once frost has passed or in early fall, and the daisy flowers open across June and July.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Late winter to early spring; seed germinates best with cool conditions
- Plant: Spring after frost danger passes, or early fall
- Harvest: Blooms June to July
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Most ligularia trouble shows up right on the leaves, and it traces to one of two things: hungry slugs or too much heat and sun. What you see on the foliage usually tells you which. Match the look below, then treat the cause rather than the mark it leaves.
Scorched leaf edges and stunted growth in the heat
The leaf margins brown and crisp, new growth stays small and cramped, and the whole plant looks burnt back, the mark of a cool-climate plant pushed past its tolerance by heat, drought, and full sun. When this scorched look sets in during the hottest, driest weeks, the growing spot is the cause. A shadier, cooler place that holds even moisture lets fresh leaves come back full-sized, and organic matter dug into the ground keeps water around the roots between rains.
Fix:
- Relocate to a shadier, cooler, consistently moist site
- Add organic matter and maintain even soil moisture
Ragged holes torn across the broad leaf blades
The wide, soft leaf blades turn up pocked with ragged holes and chewed edges, the work of slugs and snails that feed after dark and leave thin, glistening trails drying on the surface. Picking them off by torchlight in the evening thins them out, and a shallow trap or a scatter of iron-phosphate bait set close to the crown catches more. The damp mulch and debris around the plant give them cool cover by day, so a cleared surface leaves them exposed.
Fix:
- Hand-pick slugs in the evening
- Set out shallow traps or iron-phosphate slug bait
- Reduce excess mulch and debris where they hide
Broad leaves that slump limp in the afternoon
By early afternoon the big leaf blades go soft and hang loose from their stalks, a picture of heat stress that shows even when the soil underneath is still damp. The wide surface loses water faster than the roots can push it back up, so the leaves flag, then draw taut and upright again once the heat drops overnight. Afternoon shade over the blades, deep watering, and a mulch layer that keeps the roots cool all ease the slump.
Fix:
- Provide afternoon shade or dappled shade
- Keep soil consistently moist with deep watering
- Mulch to conserve soil moisture and keep roots cool
Toxicity
Ligularia is a plant to look at, not to eat. The leaves hold pyrrolizidine alkaloids, the same liver-stressing compounds found in its ragwort relatives, which makes them mildly toxic to pets, livestock, and people if eaten in any amount. A single curious nibble of a leaf rarely does more than upset a stomach, but no part of the plant is food.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Caution
A single taste of a leaf usually brings no more than drooling or a mildly upset stomach. The lasting concern is the pyrrolizidine alkaloids held in the leaf tissue, which strain a cat's liver when it grazes on the plant again and again.
Dogs Caution
A dog that chews on a leaf usually gets away with some drooling and a loose stomach. The problem is eating it in quantity, since the alkaloids in the tissue are hard on the liver over time.
Horses Caution
Horses tend to leave the plant untouched, which is just as well. Like its ragwort relatives, ligularia holds pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the leaves that build up and damage the liver when it is grazed steadily.
Rabbits Caution
The leaves are not forage for rabbits. The same liver-stressing alkaloids that trouble larger animals sit in the tissue, so safe greens are the better choice.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, sheep, and goats meet the classic ragwort risk in these leaves. The pyrrolizidine alkaloids accumulate in the liver, so a plant grazed day after day does the harm, not a single mouthful.
Birds Caution
Poultry and pet birds should be kept from pecking at the foliage. The alkaloids that affect mammals are best treated as a risk for birds too, so the leaves are not to be shared.
People Caution
No part of ligularia is food. The leaves hold pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are hepatotoxic if eaten in any quantity, so curious children should be kept from tasting the foliage and the plant treated as strictly ornamental.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Only a handful of ligularias reach most gardens, and they sort by what stands out on the plant itself: dark foliage in some, tall flower spires in others.
Desdemona
Its large new leaves push out purplish-red, then settle to brownish-green on top over purple undersides, held below big daisy flowers.
Britt Marie Crawford
The leaves are glossy and leathery, holding a deep purple-black sheen all season beneath bright orange-yellow daisies.
The Rocket (Ligularia stenocephala)
This is the related Ligularia stenocephala rather than L. dentata, raising slim 4 to 5 foot spires crowded with small lemon-yellow flowers on purple-tinged stems above triangular, toothed leaves.
How to propagate
Ligularia is slow but easy to multiply, whether the clump is split into new crowns or the plant is raised from seed.
DivisionModerate
Early spring or fall · One growing season
Splitting a mature clump is the surest way to make more plants. The crown is lifted and divided in early spring or fall, and the pieces stay consistently moist while their roots settle. Each division takes hold over a single growing season.
SeedModerate
Late winter to spring · Plants may take a year or more to reach flowering size
Seed offers a slower route, sown from late winter to spring where cool conditions favor germination. Patience is the price, since a seedling often needs a year or more before it reaches flowering size.
Myths
Ligularia needs full sun to flower well.
The truth runs the other way. It is a shade lover that flowers best in part to full shade, while too much sun leaves the leaves wilting and the plant weak, worst where summers run hot. Give it shade and steady moisture and the flowers follow.
Ligularia and Farfugium japonicum are the same plant.
They share the leopard plant name, and Farfugium was once filed under Ligularia, which is where the mix-up begins. Botanists split it into its own genus years ago. True ligularias are distinct moisture-loving perennials, not the same plant.