Deer resistant: yes 🦌
Moisture: needs consistently moist soil
Size: 36” H x 36” W
Bloom: daisy-like orange flowers in August on dark stems
Hardiness zone: 4
Ligularias are a diverse species and underappreciated plants in the perennial garden. Ligularias produce basal mounds of uniquely attractive, large-leaf foliage, varying from triangular to rounded leaves, from medium green to inky black. In late summer, erect stems produce long flower spikes or clusters of daisy-like flowers that range from bright yellow to yellow-orange. Ligularias delight both with their foliage and bloom, and are never boring. The triangular-leaf Ligularias have a habit of looking sadly droopy in direct sun, to the point that they look like they might die any moment. As soon as the sun goes away, plants perk right back up as if nothing had happened. This will happen even if you keep plants positively soggy wet. It’s just part of their personality, Don’t worry about it and enjoy them as they are. The broad-leaf Ligularias do not show this behavior, and seem to be a little more resistant to sun or drier periods. Deer have never bothered our Ligularias.
‘Desdemona’ is a fetching, round-leaf Ligularia with large, purplish-green leaves with purple undersides. It forms large rounded mounds from which dark stems carrying clusters of orange daisy-like flowers bloom in August. It will tolerate some sun without wilting. Deer have never bothered our plants. ‘Desdemona’ is a slightly larger version of ‘Othello’ but otherwise very similar.