Leaf
Agnieszka Kwiecień, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bigleaf ligularia
Ligularia dentata (A.Gray) H.Hara
Also known as: Leopard plant, Golden ray, Ligularia
Family: Asteraceae
80 cm to 1.20 m tall
Pond margins, moist shady garden beds
Flowering: July – September
Full sun
Part shade
Shade
-25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its huge rounded foliage, often tinged bronze-purple, makes it a star of the border even before its bright orange flowering.
🍃 Leaves
Very large, rounded, toothed leaves, often bronze-purple on the underside depending on the cultivar
🌸 Flowers
Large bright orange flower heads grouped in loose corymbs at the top of the stems
🍎 Fruits
Small achenes topped with a pappus
🪵 Bark
Upright, sturdy, hollow stems
🗺️ Distribution
Native to China and Japan; grown in Europe as an ornamental perennial for damp beds.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Flower heads much visited by bees, bumblebees and butterflies in late summer.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Pond margins, moist shady beds; imposing bronze foliage much sought after in association with ferns and hostas.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No notable toxicity known.
🌱 Known cultivars
'Desdemona'
The cultivar 'Desdemona' is recognised by its leaves tinged purple-brown on the underside and its purplish stems, whereas the typical species has entirely green foliage.
🌿 Other Asteraceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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