Ligularia is an upright, flowering, herbaceous perennial in the aster family, native to Asia and grown for its imposing spires of bright yellow flowers. The plant has a basal rosette of stem leaves that diminish in size as they go up the 40 inch stems. Daisy-like yellow flowers blossom on long spikes. The genus name comes from the Latin word ligula meaning strap in reference to the shape of the ray flowers. Ligularia will not tolerate hot midday sun, causing the leaves wilt. The plant prefers partial shade or afternoon shade and moist, rich soil. It will tolerate other soil types, including clay. In its native habitat, Ligularia is often found on rocky cliffs near sea shores, streamside meadows, and forests in China. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Slugs and snails can damage the foliage. Leaf wilting occurs in hot summer climates, or when the plant is exposed to too much sun.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Mountains
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf margin
Dentate
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Basal rosette of large kidney-shaped, heart-shaped or triangular, often toothed leaves that decrease in size and number as they go up the stem.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Good Cut
Flower form
Raceme; Spike
Flower detail
Daisy-like, yellow to orange flowers held on narrow spikes, on long cone-shaped spikes or in flat-topped clusters. Blossoms from late summer to early fall.