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Brunnera
Shade Garden Texture & Dazzling Silver Leaves
- Stunning Silver & Variegated Foliage: Brighten up shady spots with luminous foliage! Brunnera is prized for its exquisite, heart-shaped leaves, often dramatically marked with silver, white, or cream. This dazzling foliage illuminates shady corners and provides season-long visual interest.
- Delicate Spring Blue Forget-Me-Not Blooms: Welcome spring with a touch of ethereal beauty! Brunnera produces delicate sprays of tiny, sky-blue flowers in spring that resemble Forget-Me-Nots, adding a charming and graceful touch to the shade garden.
- Thrives in Shade & Part Shade: Perfect for challenging shady locations! Brunnera excels in partial to full shade, making it an ideal choice for north-facing gardens, woodland areas, under trees, and other shady spots where many flowering plants struggle.
- Low Maintenance & Easy to Grow: Effortless beauty for any gardener. Once established, Brunnera is remarkably low-maintenance. It is deer-resistant, relatively pest and disease-free, and requires minimal pruning, allowing you to enjoy its beauty with ease.
- Deer Resistant: Protect your shade garden from deer browsing! Brunnera is generally considered deer-resistant, ensuring its beautiful foliage and blooms remain untouched.
- Long Season of Foliage Interest: Enjoy beautiful foliage from spring through fall. Brunnera's attractive leaves maintain their captivating patterns and colors throughout the growing season, providing consistent visual appeal even after the spring blooms fade.
- Excellent Groundcover or Border Plant: Versatile and practical in the garden. Brunnera slowly spreads to form attractive clumps, making it an excellent groundcover for suppressing weeds in shady areas or a beautiful edging plant for borders and pathways.
- Variety of Foliage Options: Choose the perfect Brunnera for your style! With a wide range of cultivars available, you can select from different foliage patterns and colors, including intensely silvered leaves, variegated varieties, and more, to perfectly match your garden aesthetic.
- Light: Prefers partial shade to full shade. Brunnera thrives in shade and needs protection from hot afternoon sun, which can scorch its delicate leaves. Morning sun is generally tolerated. Dappled shade under trees or consistent shade throughout the day is ideal.
- Soil: Plant in moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Brunnera thrives in humus-rich soil. Amend heavy clay or sandy soils generously with compost, leaf mold, or other organic matter to improve moisture retention, drainage, and fertility. Slightly acidic to neutral soil pH is preferred.
- Planting Time: Spring or fall are the best times to plant Brunnera. Spring planting allows for a full growing season to establish before winter. Fall planting provides cooler temperatures and moisture for root establishment. Avoid planting during the heat of summer or when the ground is frozen.
Planting Instructions (Container Plants or Divisions):
- Choose Your Location: Select a shady to partially shady location with moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil.
- Prepare the Planting Hole: Dig a hole that is twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep.
- Amend the Soil (Crucial): Generously amend the backfill soil with compost, leaf mold, or other organic matter. Brunnera thrives in rich, woodland-type soil that retains moisture.
- Remove from Container: Gently remove the Brunnera from its container, loosening any circling roots if present.
- Planting Depth: Place the root ball in the center of the hole, ensuring the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. Avoid planting too deeply; the crown of the plant (where leaves emerge) should be at soil level.
- Backfill and Firm: Backfill the hole with the prepared soil mixture, gently firming around the base of the plant.
- Water Thoroughly: Water deeply after planting to settle the soil and provide initial moisture.
- Mulch (Highly Recommended): Apply a generous layer of organic mulch (such as leaf mold, shredded bark, or compost) around the base of the plant, keeping it away from the stems. Mulch is essential for retaining moisture, suppressing weeds, keeping the soil cool, and mimicking their natural woodland floor environment.
Ongoing Care:
- Watering:
- Establishment: Water regularly and consistently during the first growing season, especially during dry spells, to help establish a strong root system. Keep the soil consistently moist, never allowing it to dry out completely, particularly during warmer months.
- Established Plants: Once established, Brunnera prefers consistently moist soil. Water regularly during dry periods, especially in warmer weather. They are not drought-tolerant and will wilt and decline if allowed to dry out significantly. Monitor soil moisture regularly and water when the top inch of soil feels slightly dry. Deep watering is best.
- Fertilizing: Brunnera benefits from a boost of nutrients in spring. Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer or top-dress with compost or leaf mold as new growth emerges in spring. Avoid over-fertilizing.
- Pruning: Minimal pruning is required.
- Deadheading (Optional): Deadheading spent flower stalks after blooming can improve the plant's appearance but is not strictly necessary.
- Foliage Cleanup (Optional): You can remove any dead, damaged, or yellowing leaves as needed throughout the growing season to maintain a tidy appearance. In late summer or early fall, some varieties may experience a slight decline in older leaves, which can be trimmed back.
- Dividing (Every few years): Mature Brunnera plants can be divided every few years (every 3-4 years) in spring or early fall if desired to propagate new plants or rejuvenate them. Dig up the clump and carefully divide it into smaller sections, ensuring each division has roots and buds. Replant the divisions promptly.
- Overwintering: Brunnera is generally a very hardy perennial in USDA zones 3-9 (check specific zone hardiness for your location). It is very cold-hardy and generally does not require winter protection in most regions within its hardiness range. Mulch helps protect the crown in colder zones, especially for newly planted Brunnera.
- Pests and Diseases: Brunnera is generally resistant to pests and diseases. Slugs and snails may occasionally nibble on foliage, especially in very damp conditions. Powdery mildew can sometimes be an issue in humid conditions with poor air circulation. Good air circulation and avoiding overly wet foliage can help prevent problems.
Enjoying Your Brunnera:
- Shade Garden Illumination: Use Brunnera to brighten up shady areas with its luminous foliage. Plant it as a focal point or in mass plantings for a dramatic effect.
- Companion Plants: Combine with other shade-loving plants like Hostas, Heucheras, Ferns, Bleeding Hearts, and Impatiens to create a layered and visually rich shade garden.
- Spring Blooms: Appreciate the charming blue spring flowers that add delicate beauty in the shade garden.
- Long-Lasting Foliage Interest: Enjoy the season-long beauty of its distinctive and attractive foliage from spring until frost.
Pro-Tip: Consistent moisture and shade are the keys to happy and thriving Brunnera plants! Mulching generously and choosing a shady location that mimics their woodland environment will ensure your Brunnera shines in your garden. Do not let the soil dry out, especially during hot weather.
By following these guidelines, you can successfully plant and enjoy the luminous beauty of Brunnera in your shade garden for many years to come!
Brunnera is a woodland plant that is easily grown in average, well-drained soil. Intolerant of dry soils, it prefers consistently moist, organically rich soil. In northern zones, morning sun is tolerable as long as the soil remains moist, and it needs to be grown in full shade with consistently moist soil in southern regions. Zones 3-8.
Once established little care is needed. Cut back the old foliage in the spring rather than in the fall; it will help to protect the crown during the winter. Winter mulch is also recommended.