Ligularia hessei Lanternchern - Leopard Plant

Ligularia x hessei 'Lanternchen' is a unique variety with its very compact habit and small dimensions, perfect for container cultivation on a balcony or as a border plant in small gardens! It has wide and rounded, glossy leaves, initially bronze turning to khaki green tinged with purple. In mid-summer, this perennial produces tall spikes of golden yellow flowers, more compact than 'Little Rocket'. It thrives in non-scorching sun or partial shade in deep, moist, heavy soil. This dwarf ligularia, which is very hardy, will brighten up the damp and shady corners of the garden.

Ligularia hessei 'Little Lantern' is a horticultural hybrid belonging to the large family of Asteraceae. This perennial forms a small dense and compact tuft in spring, reaching 65 cm (26in) in height and 50 cm (20in) in width. The wide leaves are carried on long petioles. They are rounded, heart-shaped at the base, with slightly toothed edges. From July to August, wide, conical and compact panicles of very honey-rich flower heads, which we call "daisies", bloom. Each flower head consists of a row of bright golden yellow ligules, arranged in a collar around a central, darker disc. Its orange buds burst open at the top of tall, red and branched stems.  The vegetation of Ligularia disappears in winter and regrows in spring.

Plant Ligulaira x hessei in moist, rich, deep, neutral soil. This plant does not tolerate water shortage and adapts very well to clay soils if they are humus-rich and not waterlogged. Ligularia 'Little Lantern' can be planted in groups of 6 to 9 plants or individually in smaller gardens, either as a pond border plant or in very wet areas. In flower beds and borders, combine it with other warm-coloured flowering plants such as crocosmias, cannas, dahlias, roses, and rudbeckias. It may sometimes naturalise where the soil is constantly moist, protected from the scorching rays of the sun. It is a good plant for enhancing a shaded area on the north side of the house. It also forms a lush groundcover along pathways or in semi-shady borders.