Common Name: globe flower
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Ranunculaceae
Native Range: Mongolia, North Korea, Russia
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 1.50 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Orange
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Medium
Flower: Showy
Tolerate: Rabbit, Heavy Shade, Wet Soil
Culture
Easily grown in rich, humusy, moist to wet, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates close to full shade. Leaves may bleach out in full sun. This is a cool weather plant. It dislikes dry soils and hot, humid summers. It is not recommended for planting south of USDA Zone 7 (some say Zone 6). The hotter the summer temperatures the more shade the plants require. If plants decline by mid-summer, cut back the foliage at that time. Established clumps may be divided in late summer to early fall. Plants will self-sow in the garden in optimum growing conditions. Plants require consistently moist soils and will thrive in boggy ones.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Trollius ledebourii, commonly known as ledebour globeflower, is a clump-forming perennial featuring orange, buttercup-like, 2” flowers which bloom in late spring to early summer atop erect leafy stems rising to 2-3’ tall. It is native to wet grasslands and streambanks in Mongolia, Siberia and North Korea. Flowers are usually solitary, but sometimes bloom in 2-3 flowered terminal cymes. Each flower has an outer ring of 5-8 showy, spreading, petaloid sepals surrounding 10-15 small, narrow, vertical petals grouped with numerous stamens. Deeply lobed palmate leaves have toothed margins. Basal leaves (to 4” long) have 3-5 lobes and smaller stem leaves have 3 lobes.
Genus name comes from the German word troll meaning round in reference to flower shape.
Specific epithet honors Carl Friedrich von Ledebour (1786-1851), German botanist who travelled extensively in Russia including the Altai Mountains (Mongolia, Siberia, Kazakhstan and China) resulting in his authorship of the first flora of the Altai Mountains (Flora Altaica) in 1833.
The common name globe flower refers to the shape of the blooms of some members of the genus Trollius.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Powdery mildew may occur.
Uses
Excellent for moist soils along streams or ponds. Bog gardens. Moist meadows. Also appropriate for moist areas of borders, rock gardens or open woodland areas. Mass plantings can be spectacular in flower. Good with ferns and astilbe.