Ligularia stenocephala The Rocket - Leopard Plant

The Ligularia stenocephala 'The Rocket' is an impressive and majestic ornamental plant, with a giant-like appearance. Its spectacular dark green and ebony decorative foliage is dominated, from summer to autumn, by long spikes of golden yellow flowers, grouped in pyramid-shaped clusters, on dark purple-black stems. This robust perennial plant with large growth prefers coolness, shade, and humidity. The Ligularia is a structuring and luxuriant plant, with a striking effect in shaded and humid areas of the garden !

The 'The Rocket' Ligularia, also known as Shavalski Ligularia, is a horticultural perennial belonging to the asteraceae family. It is a hybrid resulting from cross-breeding between Ligularia stenocephala and Ligularia przewalskii. This vigorous variety forms a dense and compact clump, with very large deciduous leaves, sometimes deeply lobed, triangular or heart-shaped, pointed, leathery, and toothed, measuring between 15 to 35 cm (6 to 14in) long. The upper side of the leaves is dark green and the underside is ebony in colour. From June to September, or even until the first frost, long purple-black stems rise above the foliage, bearing large slender clusters composed of numerous golden yellow flowers, slightly fragrant, measuring 2 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter. The flowering of this Ligularia attracts many pollinating insects. This cultivar measures 1.80 m (6ft) tall by 1 m (3ft) wide.

This cultivar received the Award of Garden Merit awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1993.

With great longevity, vigorous and highly cold-resistant, this 'The Rocket' Ligularia thrives in moist, even clayey soils, partial shade, or even complete shade. Forming an imposing, dense, and compact mass, 80 cm (32in) to 1 m (3ft) in diameter, outside of flowering, its magnificent foliage will make a sensation in the garden. This beautiful ornamental plant is particularly suitable for water's edge borders (pond, ditch, basin, stream ). It is also ideally placed in flower beds or mixed borders, tolerating even a relatively sunny situation, as long as the soil remains moist and cool, a necessary condition for the development of its generous foliage. Slow to establish, it takes two to three years for this Ligularia to reach its adult size. It is the perfect companion for many shade-loving perennial plants and waterside plants such as Campanulate lactiflora, Hosta, Rodgersia, Kirengeshoma, Astilbe, Pigamon, Perennial Sunflower, Siberian Veronica, Marsh Spurge, or Iris chrysographes. It also works wonders when placed in a large container, while remaining vigilant about the constant moisture of its substrate.