If they bloomed last year, there should be seedlings. Mine have been up for a few weeks. I know, because until last year I have always cut off the flower spikes, and I never had any volunteers before. When I saw them this spring I was so thrilled; there's no mistaking them for anything else with those reddish leaves.

Mine are not all that close to the older plants, though, they're yards away though in the same strip of garden.

Digging....I've never cut off the flowers, but the babies were always around the parent plants. They're getting huge, but no sign of offspring this season. But, I'll keep a lookout.
Thanks.

I definitely want more of my Rocket, but while original clump is expanding, I've never seen any volunteer seedlings of it. It's been in a place for 3 years already.
What gives?
Maybe because it's in a heavy mulched bed?

Ego, I have a couple of Rockets, but they have never left any seedlings either...and, I only have a light mulch in my gardens.

Did you get the late freeze like some of us did?

Yes...we did get a late spring freeze...maybe that's it.

I don't have the ligularia rocket, I have some other kind with rounded leaves and I've never had babies from it either. My question is, I have it planted in an area where it gets sun from 7 in the morning until early afternoon and the leaves always wilt. I was thinking of moving it to a place that gets more shade, but is it too late to be moving it now? I don't want to kill it, it's one of my favorite plants and I just want to make it happier. It's been in this spot for at least 3 years.

I have the same Ligularias and actually moved a couple of smaller ones over the weekend, and as of yesterday, it didn't look too happy. I'm hoping that it will bounce back.
That being said, my other Ligularias also wilt after being in the sun for a while, then perk up later in the day. As long as they perk up, it's ok. But, I wouldn't do any major moving now.

Thanks Janicej11. It has done well (read into that it has lived!) these last few years so I guess one more year of wilting in the sun won't hurt it any. Maybe I'll leave the flowers on over winter and see if I get any seedlings then, if I do, I'll move them to a better spot.

ligularias love water. One trick is to use plastic and bury it
under plant, giving of course space for some roots, just to retain some moisture.
I have babies from Desdemona but not from Otello and stenocephala.

I have dry soil and want to grow ligularias. I potted my seedlings from another garden and I want to try the plastic trick with them at my own garden. Should I make any holes in the plastic so that the water drains? If so - how many and how big? I am worried if there are no holes in the plastic the plants may rot or somehow suffocate.

Another thing is the size of holes for single plants. When I transplanted my ligularia last year the rootball was at least twice the size of my shovel and approximately as big as the top of the plant. Now, growing in a shadier spot, the same plant is at least 3' tall and wide. If the rootball gets that big as well, should I dig enormous 3'x3' holes?

Anna Beth, I've never used the plastic trick, but would poke some holes the plastic just to be safe. When I move my Ligularias I just dig holes large enough to accomodate the root ball and about 6" on either side. My plants are also very large and as the plant grew, the roots found their way accordingly. As long as you water them regularly after they have been moved, they should be fine.

Plastic??? What do you mean?
Linda C

Janice, thank you for your response. The potted seedlings look fine and I expect them to grow once I get the soil right. I have quite a lot in the other garden, they look so cute I do not want to pull any, but I will have to - there are just to many to keep. It's the first time ever I see them - I probably wouldn't have any had I not moved the plant last spring from a full sun bed where it was very much suffering from heat.

Lindac - the plastic trick is mentioned above by Lindalana. I believe it may work very well because an acquaintance of ours uses it to grow high whortleberry (American berry - vaccinium corymbosum?) bushes. They grow tall and wide and he has them planted in wide, shallow holes lined with black plastic. The soil on top of the plastic is an acidic mixture appropriate for the berries. He is very pleased with the results - picks lots of fruit each year. He would not be able to grow them otherwise because the soil in his garden is as poor as it is in ours - perhaps 10" of very sandy soil, and pure yellow sand below that (70 years ago the area where we live was pine woods). It drains instantly. I need to amend the soil for practically everything I plant and I can safely grow quite a few plants listed as invasive.