I have ligularias growing all over my garden, in flower beds, in the lawn. in cracks in the paving and in the house foundations, in sunny arras, shady areas, dry areas. wet areas, all from a single plant. Is this typical?
Ligularia dentata ‘Othello’, sometimes known by the common name “leopard plant” is an herbaceous perennial that can grow in conditions from part to full shade and prefers medium to wet moisture levels. It generally grows in clumps and is slow to spread. While this plant is not on the invasive species list in Ontario, given that it is native to Asia and can spread via seeds, there’s a possibility it could become invasive here given the right conditions.
Given what you’re describing, I’m wondering if there’s a possibility that your plant is not Ligularia dentata. The leaves look similar to coltsfoot which is an invasive spreader, and the flowers look similar to coreopsis or other daisy-like flowers in the Asteraceae family.
If you can send in a few photos of the flower, the leaves and the entire plant structure we could help identify whether this is in fact Ligularia dentata ‘Othello.’
If you are not enjoying your plant popping up in all of those places, you can dig it out at the root. Since it does not have rhizomes, you would not have to worry too much about getting every piece of the root.
Some alternatives to Ligularia dentata that have a similar leaf or flower look but are native to Ontario include: Asarum canadense (wild ginger) for similar looking leaves, and Heliopsis helianthoides (smooth oxeye daisy/false sunflower) and Helianthus strumosus (pale-leaved sunflower) for similar looking flowers.