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Listen to Paul Parent and David Wilson as they discuss Ligularia ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’ on the February 19, 2006 The Paul Parent Garden Club radio show [7:56 minutes]
Black foliaged plants have become popular in recent years, and one of the most exciting new Garden Splendor® introductions to reach us is Ligularia ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’.
This first rate plant is a splendid garden performer. One that has superb charm and elegance, provides lots of long lasting color, and has an interesting background story. It’s a story of chance, drama, romance, love, and tragedy. A story that, to the best of our knowledge, has not been published before. I’ll get to the story in a moment, but first, here’s why you should consider finding a place for it in your garden.
Ligularias have enjoyed precedence in gardens for many years. They are hardy, robust perennials, seldom affected by diseases or deer browsing and providing tremendous value. And this new dark-leaved form is the most impressive one of all.
The handsome leaves are a rich, dark, chocolate color with burgundy undersides. When the foliage is disturbed or ruffled by a breeze, the effect is very pleasing. This foliage color lasts throughout the entire growing season, regardless of weather. To top it off, in mid- to late-summer deep orange-yellow, daisy-like flowers are produced on sturdy stems above the clumps.
Ligularia ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’ has a stately presence — an architectural charm that makes it stand out and enhance plant groupings. It grows around 3 feet tall by the same wide. It naturalizes well with moisture-loving wild flowers and perennials and is perfect in woodland gardens or near water features like ponds, streams, or in bog gardens. I have it planted with variegated and blue Hostas and several forms of Siberian and Japanese Iris. The burnished colored leaves compliment other colors well, so creating nice combinations is easy. If you have the space to mass it in larger informal drifts then it is even more impressive.
Ligularias thrive in cool, moist situations so adding extra organic matter at planting time and regular mulching will keep the moisture in and the roots cool. Ideally, they are best in partial shade with some protection from sizzling afternoon sun. They really are easy to grow. Just avoid hot, dry places with thin soils, and they are “easy doers”. Our Plant Encyclopedia section has detailed information on the growing conditions, maintenance, and a review of other types.
Ligularia denata, the parent species, grows in forest clearings and mountain meadows in Japan and China. But the story of this beauty’s birth starts with a vivacious, young Swedish woman who went to Australia to study medicine. She met a British Army officer, Captain James Crawford, at a Governor’s party in Adelaide and, in true romantic style, fell in love. Upon leaving the Army, James brought her home to his family’s country estate near Dundee, in Fife, Scotland.
Brit-Marie became a general practioner. In her spare time, she developed a passion for gardening. She decided that the ruins of the 13th century Naughton Castle that lay behind their home would make a suitable place to create her garden. So she acquired plants from all over the world, and the garden quickly became known for its unusual layout and fine collection of plants.
After the BBC filmed a program there and visitors were soon arriving to buy specimens, she started a nursery. When Dr. Leslie Bisset, a professor from Dundee Botanical Gardens, came to visit, he pointed out a small division amongst a batch of Ligularia dentata ‘Othello’ plantlets that had much darker leaves than any of the others. Britt-Marie nurtured the fledgling and intended to propagate it when it became large enough.
But one day, while attending to her increasing retail trade, she noticed with horror that her cherished discovery was missing. Realizing that a customer must have innocently picked up the plant to buy it, she dashed to the car park and rescued it from the trunk of a customer’s car. The rescued treasure was secured and increased to ensure its survival. The plants prospered and, not surprisingly, was admired by all who saw them.
Then tragedy struck. In January 2000, Britt-Marie died in her sleep of a heart attack. Devastated by her sudden death, her husband, her two sons and daughter, and her many friends and gardening acquaintances resolved that a plant this good deserved to be shared with other gardeners. So they decided to put it into commerce and name it in after its creator.
It is with pleasure and pride that we have included Ligularia ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’ in our Garden Splendor® line-up of proven performers.
This is a worthy example of how our Garden Splendor® plants are: The best of the “tried and true” and the most promising of the exciting and new.
We invite you to come in soon to see why we are so captivated this bonnie Scottish beauty, and why Garden Splendor® plants are Plants Worth Remembering®.
Until next time, remember.... Enjoy your gardening. It's good for you!
