Flowers for the garden
Ligularia dentata
Ligularia dentata
Ligularia, or Ligularia, or Ligulária (lat. Ligulária) — a genus of perennial herbs in the Aster family (Asteraceae), comprising about one hundred and fifty Eurasian species. Some species are used in horticulture as ornamental plants.
The best-known representative of the group with shield-shaped inflorescences. This perennial is native to China and Japan. Basal leaves are large, entire, kidney-shaped, toothed at the margin, brownish-green, 30—40 cm in diameter. Flower stalks reach up to one and a half meters in height. Inflorescences are shield-shaped, consisting of orange-yellow heads about 10 cm in diameter. Flowering occurs from the second half of summer to early autumn. The optimal light for this species is diffuse light, so it is recommended to plant them in the shade of trees and shrubs. Winter hardiness is high; the plant withstands frosts down to -30°C .
The following Ligularia cultivars are used in landscaping:
Ligularia dentata ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’ — a plant up to one and a half meters tall with orange inflorescences and leaves that have an intense beet-red color;
Ligularia dentata ‘Desdemona’ — a plant about one meter tall with yellow-orange inflorescences; it looks decorative due to the strong contrast between the two sides of the leaves: the upper blade is light green with a bronze sheen, while the underside is much darker — purple-red-brown; veins are red;
Ligularia dentata ‘Othello’ — a cultivar similar to the previous one: plant height about one meter, inflorescences yellow-orange; young, not fully unfolded leaves have a purple-purplish color, later the leaf blade becomes dark green with a purple tint on the upper side, and purple on the underside; red veins visible through the leaf resemble blood vessels.
Location: Ligularias are shade-tolerant and moisture-loving plants; in the garden they develop better in partial shade, although with abundant and regular watering they tolerate sun well.
Soil: they require nutrient-rich, moist soil. They also grow on heavy, poorly drained clay soils and tolerate temporary waterlogging.
Care: in spring it is advisable to loosen and mulch the soil. In summer care consists of regular watering and staking the inflorescences. If planted in fertile soil, they may not need fertilizing. After flowering, remove the inflorescences if seeds are not required; the plants will then increase the size and number of leaves, maintaining their decorative effect until mid-October. It is better to cut the above-ground part in autumn. For winter, it is desirable to mulch the soil around the plants. In exposed areas, additional watering is necessary on hot days. Ligularias are not affected by pests and diseases. The only pest is slugs, which eat young and even mature leathery leaves. Plants overwinter without shelter.
Propagation: by dividing the clump and by seed, sown in spring. Seedlings flower in the 3rd–4th year. Plants are planted in spring (May) and in autumn (September–October). If necessary, they can be transplanted in summer by cutting back the above-ground parts, although decorative effect cannot be expected then. Division of the clump is done in spring. Planting distance is 50 to 100 cm.