Wikimedia Commons
Asteraceae
Leopard's Bane
Doronicum orientale
Warning and vitality.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Doronicum
- Native to
- Southern Europe, Middle East, Central Asia
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- perennial herb
- Height
- 1-2 ft
- Sunlight
- part shade to full shade
- Soil
- moist, humus-rich, well-drained
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 4-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The name 'leopard's bane' reflects an ancient belief that the plant was toxic to large predators — Arab hunters reportedly used related species to poison meat as bait.
- It is among the first perennials to bloom in spring, often flowering alongside tulips and daffodils despite being a daisy rather than a bulb.
- Unlike many spring flowers, it is a shade-tolerant perennial that excels under deciduous trees where it benefits from spring light before the canopy closes.
- After flowering, the foliage goes summer-dormant in hot climates — the entire plant disappears underground until fall rains trigger new basal leaf growth.
- The genus Doronicum contains about 40 species distributed from Europe to Central Asia, all sharing the distinctive spring-blooming yellow daisy habit.
Color meanings
0
caution
1
bright beginnings
2
spring energy