Well, personally, I've found Cimicifuga to be a tough and durable plant, and Ligularia to be rather difficult to grow, short-lived, and fragile.

Well thats unfortunate, kind of liked the idea of darkleaved plants with nice contrasting yellow flowers. Do Cimicifuga flower stalks remain through winter in the same way as astilbe?

I've found that my Cimicifuga flower stalks remain until there's a heavy wet snow, which tends to break them. They aren't quite a tough or woody as the one type of astilbe I grow.

Ligularia short-lived??? That's new.They can definitely live for DECADES , provided they have water and water and water. The only way to kill a ligularia is 1)to let it be thirsty for a long time 2) slugs can dig themselves down to the roots and eat the crown totally .

Britt Marie Crawford has the best colour if planted in wet spot but with full sun, then it stays dark for the whole season. Planted in shade it will be much greener.

The clump of Marie Britt below has grown for many years in a place shaded from 6 p.m on. It has been divided multiple times because everybody wants it. Otherwise it would be double the size.

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I find dark leaved Cimicifugas temperamental, they seem to thrive only if EVERYTHING is PERFECT.

My two cimicifuga are planted in full shade which is why (so I gather) the foliage is green rather than darker colored. The flower stems are tall spikes that the bees are on non-stop but they do tend to flop/lean over rather than remain upright like some photos I've seen where they're planted in more sun. The flower stems are gone with the first foul weather as is the foliage--they die back completely. I use them at the back of the shade bed up close to the house wall with hosta, astilbe, Jacob's ladder, brunnera, columbine & toad lily planted beside & in front of them. The plants in this bed rarely get supplemental water, not even the astilbes, unless there's a very long dry spell.

That's great info. Wieslaw your specimen looks fantastic. I think I will try the ligularia first.

wieslaw, that is stunning. I just may have to hunt up or create a spot for Britt Marie and give her another try. Lost my first one several years ago during a long dry spell.

If it gets really hot, ligularia can droop distressingly during the day, and it does need a LOT of moisture. I can't grow it in my garden because of the summer heat, but cimicifuga grows just fine.

Sandy

Ligularias not only can, but DO close their leaves down in the middle of the day if in sunny position. But so do many other plants too.

But ligularia is downright scary when it does that! Guess it's 'cause the leaves are so big!

It just dies from the heat, in my garden, even in the shade and with a drip system.

Sandy

Dark leaved Cimicifugas are very afraid of drying wind in the summer. Once the leaves are damaged/dried, they will not improve in the same season(like Astilbes). So they can't be planted in the open in windy situations.

I grow both. Have not had a problem with the ligularia being shortlived... BUT - when the sun hits it, it wilts until it's shaded again, even though the soil is moist.

I do love the fragrance of cimicifuga flowers- although some find it unpleasant to their nose...

The leaves of both are lovely and dark if they get good light. But of course, the leaf structure is very different, with the ligularia having large/solid leaves, and the cimicifuga having relatively small leaves...

I also think of the cimicifuga having a more upright habit, while the ligularia habit is more 'hosta-like'.

Let us know what you choose, and how they work out for you!

Beth - Z5 Northern Michigan

I'm leaning towards the ligularia. Right now I have astilbe in the bed and the spent flower stalks add nice structure in winter so there is the temptation to have cimicifuga there. It would be nice to have some tall structure in the bed, especially since the backdrop is a plain red brick wall.

On the other hand, I like the flowering of ligularia better. In the end, if the leaves turn out to be green in the shade then I'm not sure I'll be satisfied with either.....

It will be paired with a couple of hydrangea little honey (see below)

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By miclino at 2011-07-19

I grow both. The basic Ligularia dentata and Cimicifuga (now Actaea) 'Hillside Black Beauty' and 'Brunette'. Not much trouble with either, although I'd agree with the Ligularia needing moisture.

tj

I have a mostly shaded yard with huge oak and pine trees on all sides. I tend to choose plants for their foliage rather than their flowers. I especially like contrasting foliage colors, so many dark-leaved cimicifuga and ligularia varieties have followed me home from the nursery over the years. The problem I've found with both is their high moisture requirement. It's so easy to tell yourself when you're buying plants that you can just water these a bit more, but for me, keeping ahead of moisture loss requires more effort than is realistic. I have an irrigation system, strategically placed rain barrels and lots of free time, and I can't compete with the big oaks and pines. That said, of my ligularias, my favorite is Cafe au Lait. Of my cimicifugas, Hillside Black Beauty seems to be the most vigorous. If insect nibbling is an issue on the ligularias, try some systemic fertilizer/insecticide. If you go this route, you may want to remove the flowers to avoid poisoning your bees and hummingbirds. I think some ligularia flowers are kinda ugly, so for me, it's no loss.