Farfugium japonicum "Aureomaculatum"
 

I picked up one of these at a small local nursery yesterday. It was purely
an impulse buy. I'm a sucker for variegated foliage, and this plant, aka
leopard plant, stopped me in my tracks with its glossy green leaves with
bright yellow spots.

I've poked around on the web a bit, looking for cultural information, and am
reading conflicting reports. It's listed as a zone 7 plant, but others
report success with it in zone 6. I'll be planting it in a moist, slightly
shady spot, and mulching it well.

Is anyone growing this plant? How has it done for you? Have you
overwintered it in zone 6? Did you do anything special to protect it over
the winter?

Or should I grow it as a container plant? In that case, what would be the
best way to store it indoors over the winter--how moist, what range of
temperatures,etc.

Thanks in advance for any replies,
Cheers,
Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA

Farfugium japonicum "Aureomaculatum"
 

SugarChile wrote:

I picked up one of these at a small local nursery yesterday. It was purely
an impulse buy. I'm a sucker for variegated foliage, and this plant, aka
leopard plant, stopped me in my tracks with its glossy green leaves with
bright yellow spots.

I've poked around on the web a bit, looking for cultural information, and am
reading conflicting reports. It's listed as a zone 7 plant, but others
report success with it in zone 6. I'll be planting it in a moist, slightly
shady spot, and mulching it well.

Is anyone growing this plant? How has it done for you? Have you
overwintered it in zone 6? Did you do anything special to protect it over
the winter?

Or should I grow it as a container plant? In that case, what would be the
best way to store it indoors over the winter--how moist, what range of
temperatures,etc.

It's a pretty cool plant, Sue. I saw one on a garden tour in California a number
of years ago and fell hard! The spotting was amazing and rather unlike most
other variegation. Mine has been growing in my woodland garden for about 5 years
now - it has increased in size slowly and has not developed a great many spots.
It is also pretty nearly evergreen in my climate. During a renovation of that
garden, I decided to dig up the plant and grow it in a container where I could
better control the shade and water situation. It is doing so much better now -
lots of new growth with much more spotting. I think it needed more shade that I
was providing and they do like consistantly moist soil. I think containment or
restricted roots is something it likes as well. Sorry, I can't speak to its
hardiness in your zone, but it overwinters easily here and as I mentioned,
typically more evergreen than not.

pam - gardengal