Name:   Doronicum orientale aka leopard’s bane

Type of Plant: A spreading perennial for sun to part shade. Hardy in Zones 4-8, and blooms with bright yellow daisies in late-spring.

Why I Love/Hate this plant: I love this plant because the foliage appears in April and then it flowers in May on Cape Cod. It spreads well but it’s not invasive or even aggressive…in fact, since the foliage disappears in the summer it grows well with other perennials in a community. I have mine growing with our native ostrich fern and Stylophrum in a dappled shade area.

I like this plant because the deer and bunnies don’t eat it, and because it grows in places under trees where I don’t rake, but let the plants grow in a community.

A Word to the Wise: Because this plant spreads, it’s not the best for a small perennial garden. It’s also not very drought tolerant, so planting it in part-shade is recommended if your soil is dry or sandy. It’s the perfect plant to combine with primroses or forget-me-nots in a rain garden or damp area.

You might have to get this plant from a friend or an online source…it’s not commonly sold in garden centers.

In April the foliage for leopard’s bane pokes up out of the ground, proclaiming that it is spring.

Doronicum orientale grows well with other plants including ferns.

I love Doronicum orientale because it’s fresh in the spring and is one of the earliest perennial flowers in my woodland garden.