Leopard’s bane
D. orientale comes from the Caucasus and is, as you would expect, a totally hardy and reliable plant in our gardens. It is a slow spreading, clump forming, rhizomatous perennial with ovate and scalloped basal leaves. The plant, with its solitary golden yellow flower heads on upright stems, achieves a height of around 2ft and clumps can extend to a bit more than that. The flowers appear in mid to late spring.
This plant performs best in rich improved, but well drained, soil in partial or dappled shade. It may scorch in full sun and clumps may rot off in waterlogged or sodden areas of the garden. Propagation is by division of the clumps in autumn.
