Ligularia 'Little Rocket'

Ligularia 'Little Rocket': Yellow Rockets Sized for City Yards

'Little Rocket' is the younger sibling who insists it can do everything the big one does. And honestly? It can. Bright yellow spikes on purplish-black stems light up the shade. SIZE IS JUST A NUMBER.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Ligularia hybrid, often listed under L. stenocephala
• Common Name: Dwarf Ligularia, also called leopard plant
• Height: 60–90 cm (2–3 ft) in bloom
• Spread: 60–75 cm (24–30 in)
• Flowers: Bright yellow, small daisy-like flowers packed along long, narrow spikes on purplish-black stems
• Bloom Time: Early to late summer (June to August)
• Foliage: Large, deep green, heart-shaped leaves with jagged edges
• Features: Suits damp soil and waterside planting
• Plant Patent: USPP 14,621 / CPBR 2400

Where to Plant: It brings a strong vertical accent to a shady border, a woodland garden or the edge of a pond without taking over, and it's compact enough for smaller city yards. It can anchor a large container if you keep it watered, and the flower spikes cut well.

Companion Plants: Hosta 'Guacamole' makes a broad mound at 60 cm beside this ligularia, and its rounded leaves contrast well with the narrow yellow spikes. Astilbe 'Pumila' stays low at the front with lavender plumes in August and September, after the ligularia's June to August show. Brunnera 'Jack of Diamonds' starts the season with blue flowers in April and May. All three like the same shade to part sun.

Plant Care: Plant it in rich, humus-heavy soil that stays evenly moist. It handles clay well. Part shade is ideal. It can take more sun if the soil never dries out, but the leaves will wilt on hot afternoons if it's thirsty. Water deeply during dry spells and mulch to keep the roots cool. Watch for slugs in damp springs. Cut the flower stems back once they fade. Cut the foliage down in late fall or early spring. Divide the clump in spring every three or four years if it gets crowded.

History: Breeder Marco Fransen selected 'Little Rocket' in 1999 in Ter Aar, the Netherlands, from a program aimed at more compact ligularias, using a cross involving 'The Rocket' and 'Laternchen'. Ligularias come mostly from damp places in central and eastern Asia, and the name comes from the Latin for strap, after the shape of the petals.

Final Thoughts: Give it damp soil and some shade and it will outshine plants twice its size. Perfect by the water. NOBODY PUTS LITTLE ROCKET IN A CORNER.