Doronicum austriacum – Leopard’s Bane –

Description

Doronicum – Leopard’s Bane – There are about 35 species of deciduous, herbaceous perennials, in this genus. They occur in woodland, scrub, meadows, heathland, and rocky sites in Europe, Western Asia to Siberia. They have bright green simple, alternate, elliptic to ovate basal leaves with heart shaped bases, and lance shaped to ovate or oblong stem leaves. They are grown for their daisy like bright yellow flowers, carried singly or in cyme like corymbs in spring and summer. Grow in a border or naturalize in a woodland garden. The flowers are also good for cutting. Grow in moist, humus rich soil in partial or light, dappled shade. Do best in reasonably fertile, moist but well drained, preferably sandy soil in partial shade, they go completely dormant in summer. They do not tolerate drought. Divide in early autumn. Prone to leaf spot, root rot, and powdery mildew. D. austriacum – This clump forming, rhizomatous perennial from Mountains in Central and Southern Europe and Turkey grows 4′ feet tall and wide. It produces ovate-oblong, toothed, hairy basal leaves, 5″ long, heart shaped at the bases, usually at or just after flowering, the stem leaves are smaller, narrower, and either smooth or minutely toothed. In late spring and early summer, corymbs of yellow flowers, 1 ½-2 ½” across, are carried on slender branched stems. Zones 5-8