Ligularia dentata Pandora - Leopard Plant

The Ligularia dentata 'Pandora', a true gem of wetlands, is a brand new variety of leopard plant that stands out for its small size, well suited for pot cultivation and border landscaping. As colourful as its larger sisters 'Britt Marie Crawford' or 'Desdemona', the lovely Pandora develops a small cordate, dark foliage, which perfectly highlights its bright yellow-orange flowers. Produced in the heart of summer, as if placed above its foliage, they radiate like little suns. This perennial will thrive in a garden between light shade and gentle sun, where it will never lack water.

The Ligularia dentata, sometimes called summer senecio, is native to China and Japan. The 'Pandora' variety, from which it originates, belongs, like it, to the large family of Asteraceae. This perennial forms a compact clump in spring that will not exceed 40 cm (16in) in height and 40-50 cm (16-20in) in width. Its growth is quite slow. The small leaves of this variety are carried by a long petiole. They are tough, cordate at the base and very rounded, with strongly toothed edges. The leaves are tinted with violet-black, with very dark green reflections intensifying over the season, while the reverse is strongly tinted with brick and coppery mahogany. From July to September, corymbs or bouquets of inflorescences in heads bloom, which we call flowers. Each head, 5-6 cm (2in) wide, is composed of a row of ligulate florets that are bright yellow turning to orange at the base, very bright, organized in a collar around a central disc that is more brown. It bursts at the top of tall red and branched stems, with a button of mandarin orange colour. The vegetation of the ligularia disappears in winter and develops again in spring.

Plant the 'Pandora' Dentate Ligularia in moist, rich, deep, neutral to acidic soil. This plant cannot tolerate lack of water and adapts very well to clay soils, if they are healthy and well amended. The Pandora ligularia is planted in groups of 3 to 6 specimens, for example along the edge of a pond or in very wet areas of the garden. It also grows very well in pots on the terrace, with regular watering, in filtered light. For example, associate it with hostas, Carex morrowii, loosestrifes, and willowherbs to decorate the edges of water features. It will sometimes naturalize where the soil is constantly moist, protected from the burning rays of the sun. It is a good plant for beautifying a shaded area, on the north side of the house.