Ligularia Osiris Fantaisie - Leopard Plant

The Ligularia 'Osiris Fantaisie' is part of a series of hybrid ligularias called 'Osiris', with perfectly original foliage.  'Fantaisie' stands out with its tough, oddly toothed and undulate leaves, which change from spring purple to almond green and then to a darker green in summer, while the veins turn purple. These shiny leaves, lined with purple and carried by shiny petioles, contrast beautifully with the golden yellow summer flowering in tight little clusters. It is a wonderful plant, ideal for structuring and beautifying the surroundings of a water feature or waterlogged, even heavy, land.

This Ligularia 'Osiris Fantaisie' is a plant from the Asteraceae family. Its ancestors come from wet areas in Japan, China and Siberia, and are perfectly adapted to cold weather. It is a horticultural hybrid recently obtained in Canada by Serge Farard, from Jardins Osiris in Quebec.

Perennial and robust, it forms a very beautiful bushy clump from spring onwards, reaching about 40 cm (16in) in width. Slow to establish, it takes two to three years for this Ligularia to reach its full potential. Its main asset is its foliage. It is composed of generally rounded leaves, measuring 10 cm (4in) in diameter. The basal leaves are heart-shaped, tough, shiny, heavily cut and undulate at the edges, with a beautifully rippled appearance. In this 'Fantasia' variety, the young leaves are purple in color. They then unfold, fading to almond green. Their green color darkens over the weeks, while the network of veins takes on a red hue. The underside of the leaves maintains a beautiful purple-red to burgundy color throughout the season. The flowering takes place in July-August. The red floral stems rise up to 60 cm (24in) from the ground, or even higher depending on the growing conditions. The flowers are 5-6 cm (2in) in diameter, composed of golden yellow ligules surrounding a darker brown-orange center. They are gathered in dense little clusters at the tips of the stems. This flowering attracts many pollinating insects.

Long-lived, vigorous and very cold-resistant, this Ligularia Osiris Fantaisie thrives in humid, even heavy and clayey, or marshy soils, as well as in partial shade, or even complete shade. Impressive, shiny and colorful, its exceptional foliage will make a sensation in the garden, in shady and humid areas of the garden such as the edges of water features (pond, ditch, basin, stream...). It will also be ideally placed in flower beds or mixed borders, tolerating even a relatively sunny location, as long as the soil remains moist and cool, an essential condition for the development of its generous foliage. It will thrive alongside many shade-loving and waterside perennial plants such as Campanula lactiflora, Hosta, Rodgersia, Kirengeshoma, Astilbe, Thalictrum, Siberian Veronica, Marsh Spurge, and many others. It will also look stunning in a large container, provided it is watered abundantly and regularly.