Britt Marie Crawford Leopard Plant

Light Needs

Full Shade to Partial Shade

(0 - 4 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

3-4 Feet

Mature Spread

2-3 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 9

This unusual shade loving perennial is just what the doctor ordered for gardeners who love dramatic color and texture in their gardenscapes. Large deep purple/chocolate brown arrowhead shaped leaves with silver veining are graced with an intense golden orange pop of color when their daisy-like flower pushes their way above the foliage. This hardy perennial makes a dramatic statement in your light shade garden in mid to late summer.

Ligularia are native to China, Japan and Taiwan and are grown for their dramatic foliage as well as their intensely colored flowers. Britt Marie Crawford is assumed to be a sport of L. dentata “Othello”, having been discovered by Ms. Crawford in a patch of Othello Ligularia in Scotland. After her death, her husband James named this cultivar after his wife and commercialized it so that we can enjoy it today. Primarily found in bogs and pond edges, Ligularia needs consistently moist soil and light dappled shade for best performance.

Britt Marie Crawford Leopard Plant Care

Finding the perfect location for your new Britt Marie Crawford Ligularia is going to be your first challenge as it is a bit fussy about light and moisture. Too much shade and it will lean toward the sun, too much sun and it will wilt. Light, dappled afternoon shade with consistently moist to wet soil will be ideal and give you the best results. A woodland edge where the sunlight meets the shadows and the ground stays wet most of the year would be lovely. Fertilizer is generally not needed as moist soils tend to be humusy in nature and that is plenty of nutrients for your perennial. If you need to amend your native soil, add peat moss and well composted organic material like rotted leaves to create the best habitat. Mulch the soil to retain as much moisture as possible. Soil pH preferred is slightly acidic to neutral at 6.0 to 6.5. Supplement water during extended dry periods. This perennial must not be left to dry out.

Deadheading is not necessary at all and pruning will usually be restricted to removal of dead or yellowed leaves. Mulch with a good quality mulch to about 3 inches deep after the plant has gone dormant for the winter and pull the mulch back when it starts to grow in the spring. Divide clumps every 3 to 4 years to prevent decline and overcrowding.

Britt Marie Crawford Leopard Plant Spacing

Spacing is crucial with Ligularia as they are prone to attack by slugs and snails. Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart. Growing to about 48 inches tall and spreading out 36 inches, this perennial presents in an upright form, making it a great companion to the usually low, mounding hosta which thrives in similar growing conditions. For an unusual and beautiful shade garden display, consider growing Britt Marie Crawford Ligularia in your landscape this spring.