Ligularia Rocket with its Yellow Spiked Blooms offers a tropical appearance to any shade garden...

About The Ligularia Rocket

Ligularia Rocket with its yellow spiked flowers gives a tropical appearance to any shade or semi shade garden. I have mine growing in my side shade garden among my Hostas and Bleeding Heart Shrub.

How To Grow The Ligularia Rocket

The long, spires of yellow florets rise on long 18" to 24" black, purple stems. As with many spike blooms, this Ligularia starts blooming from bottom to the top. Even when not in bloom, the huge, dark leathery leaves offer the garden an attractivenesses.

The images above and below are from my side garden taken July 25, 2009.

When mature, the Rocket can grow to 5 feet tall and 3 feet across so give plenty of room. Also, this shade perennial does not like to dry out. Keep the soil moist or the leaves will wilt. If allowed to dry out too many times, the leaves will turn brown and die.

Adding a rich organic matter to the soil each spring also helps.

Bloom time can be anywhere from mid July to the end of August depending on the climate. The Ligularia is known to be a late starter in the spring so have patience, its a hardy perennial.

For those who have smaller shade gardens there is now a variety called Little Rocket. When mature, this perennial reaches a height of 4 feet with 2 feet of spike blooms. Very nice.

Companion plants could be: Ligularia Othello, Hostas, Astilbes, Brunnera or various Fern Varieties.

Check out my Site Index Page for a listing of additional annuals and perennials to plant in your flower garden design.

Ligularia Rocket Features

• prefers shade to semi shade
• grows to 5 feet tall
• can spread to 3 feet wide
• plenty of yellow bloom spires on dark stems
• huge, heart shaped, leathery leaves
• leaves are green on top and turned over they are a darker purple coloring
• do not allow soil to dry out, flowers will wilt
• add organic matter in spring
• deadhead browning leaves
• butterflies, bees and hummingbirds love this shade plant
• no pests that I have encountered
• deadhead spent blooms to tidy up the shade perennial

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