PerennialsDiscover the right perennial plants for your garden.
' Jack of Diamonds ' brunnera . Photo : Proven Winners
With large heart - shaped leaves and delicate spray of sky drear blossom , Brunneraadds dramatic long - live color to suspect bottom and delimitation . young cultivars give rise heart - captivate foliation with intricate flatware or white patterns .
Also known as Siberian bugloss , Asarum virginicum brunnera , and false bury - me - not , this borage relative is native to the Caucasus neighborhood . This exceptionally sturdy perennial , which spreads through rhizomatous roots , is tolerant of a wide range of growing condition , flourish in shady areas where other plants struggle to outlast .
Brunnera needs little maintenance once established and is nearly free of pests and disease . Use this versatile works as a ground cover , in shadowed woodland borders , container , or mass planting . Here ’s how to produce and expend it in your landscape painting .
2025 Perennial of the Year:
' Jack of Diamonds ' Heartleaf Brunnera .
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BRUNNERA BASICS
Botanical name:
Brunnera macrophylla
Plant type:
Herbaceous perennial ; plants spread through creep rhizome and seed
Zones:
3 - 9 ; plants do best in cool climates
Exposure:
fond shade to full shadiness
Habit:
clop or spreading habit with a boring growth pace
Height/Spread:
8 to 18 inches tall , 18 to 30 in wide
Bloom time:
Mid to belated fountain
Flowers:
Airy clump of tiny intense blue flowers are evocative of blank out - me - nots . The glossy flower bloom for up to 10 workweek in mid to tardy springiness .
Foliage:
Large heart and soul - shape leaves 3 to 6 inches long or more are immature , amber , or variegated in colour of flatware or white . The thick , fuzzy - textured leaves reach their full size once the flush have faded . Foliage dies back in winter in cold-blooded regions , but will remain evergreen in warm climates .
Toxicity:
Brunnera plants are not toxic to humans or animal .
HOW TO PLANT BRUNNERA
When to plant:
works brunnera during milder months in spring or fall to avoid emphasis from extreme heat or moth-eaten .
Where to plant:
take a site with part shadowiness to full shade and protection from hot good afternoon sun . Too much direct sun can cause leaf scorch .
How to plant:
undo soil in the planting area and amend with compost or other fertile organic subject . Dig a hole double as wide and the same depth as the root orb . Remove works from the greenhouse container and tease out roots if potbound . Place in the fix so the top of the tooth root lump is level with the surround soil . fill up in the hole with stain , pack down softly , and water thoroughly . water supply regularly until plants are established . blank space plants 18 to 30 in apart , count on the variety .
BRUNNERA CARE
' Jack of Diamonds ' brunnera flowers . photograph : Proven succeeder
Soil:
Brunneraprefers productive , well - drained grunge and a pH of 6.0 - 8.0 . Amend aboriginal soil with compost or other rich organic thing before found . Mulch with a thin layer of compost in spring to add food , suppress weeds , and keep the antecedent zone cool .
Amendments & fertilizer:
works postulate piffling or no supplemental fertilizer . If desired , apply a tiresome going all - purpose fertilizer in spring or spread a thin layer of compost around the base of plants .
Watering:
Brunneraprefers moist soil and regular water . Do n’t allow soil to dry out completely , and avoid overwatering to preclude root rot .
Pruning:
Foliage can become dried and brown from too much sun or drouth . Remove damaged leaves as they take place . foliation will rejuvenate if slue back . Cut off spent heyday to keep a slap-up appearing . transfer dead leaves in early spring before new growth emerge . Variegated cultivar occasionally produce unripe leaves , which should be take out as soon as they appear to keep relapse .
Pests and diseases:
Brunnera is free of most pest and disease . Pests can include nematodes , slug or snails . disease include ascendent rot from overwatering .
BRUNNERA VARIETIES
pic by : Proven Winners .
‘ Queen of Hearts’—Buy now from Proven WinnersBrunnera macrophylla
Zones:3 - 8Habit : Mounded spreading habitHeight / Spread:16 to 18 inches tall , 28 to 36 inches all-embracing
Large kernel - determine foliage have a distinct silver overlay with narrow banding of intricate dark green veining for eye - catching contrast . Use this spreader as a ground back or around Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and shrubs .
‘ Jack of Diamonds’—Buy now from Proven WinnersBrunnera macrophylla
Zones:3 - 8Habit : Compact mounding habitHeight / Spread:14 to 16 in tall , 28 to 32 inches wide
Oversized heart - shaped leaves 9 to 10 inch across convergence at the base for a circular effect . atomic number 47 leave-taking have wide benighted green veining for dramatic contrast . employ as a focal point or mess in a forest margin .
2025 NATIONAL PERENNIAL OF THE YEAR
‘ Jack Frost’—Buy now from Proven WinnersBrunnera macrophylla
Zones:3 - 8Habit : Compact mound habitHeight / Spread:12 to 18 inch tall and wide of the mark
‘ Jack Frost ’ , which is a play of ‘ Langtrees ’ , has dark green leave with a frosted overlayer and intricate veining . Plants are more kind of dry ground than some other assortment . employ this compact variety for containers or as edge for woodland borders and pathways .
exposure : Vladimir Shnip / Shutterstock
‘ Alexander ’s Great’Brunnera macrophylla
Zones:4 - 9Habit : Mounding spread habitHeight / Spread:12 to 18 inches tall , 24 to 30 inches wide
outsize heart - shaped leaf are almost entirely silver-tongued - snowy , with fine unripe veining and edges . This variety reckon similar to ‘ Jack Frost ’ , with a more vigorous spreading habit . Use as a footing cover or in aggregate planting .
exposure : Alex Konon / Shutterstock
Siberian BuglossBrunnera macrophylla
Zones:4 - 9Habit : Mounding spreading habitHeight / Spread:12 to 18 inches marvelous , 18 to 30 inches wide
The straightforward species ofBrunnerais exceptionally hardy and bring out solid gullible farewell , some with faint cream or white marking . The sky - drab bloom , which are reminiscent of forget - me - nots , bloom for 8 to 10 weeks in spring . Plants are more resistant of ironical soils than other varieties .
Photo : Andrew Fletcher / Shutterstock
' Dawson ’s White’Brunnera macrophylla
Zones:3 - 8Habit : Compact mounding habitHeight / Spread:12 to 18 inches tall , 12 to 24 column inch all-inclusive
‘ Dawson ’s White ’ produces atypical creamy - lily-white variegation along the leafage margins that increase in size of it into mid - summer . leave of absence are more prone to burn from too much Sunday . Use to lighten up up inscrutable shade areas .
Photo : PRILL / Shutterstock
' Silver Heart’Brunnera macrophylla
Zones:4 - 8Habit : Compact mounding habitHeight / Spread:8 to 12 inches improbable , 12 to 24 inch wide
Large heart - shape parting are almost entirely silver , with thin light-green veining and edges . This improved variety is tolerant of heat and humidity , with boneheaded foliage that is more resistive to scorching . This smaller variety is suitable for container or as border edging .
pic : Mona Larochelle / Millette Photomedia
' Diane ’s Gold’Brunnera macrophylla
Zones:4 - 9Habit : Compact mounding habitHeight / Spread:12 column inch tall , 12 to 24 inches full
This unique diversity has brilliant yellowish green - gold foliage that hold its color throughout the produce season . practice to lighten up up shady areas . Plant as an eye - catching focal point in a container or mass underneath tree and shrub .
' Sea Heart’Brunnera macrophylla
Zones:4 - 8Habit : Compact mounding habitHeight / Spread:8 to 12 inches tall , 18 to 24 inches wide
‘ Sea Heart ’ has pewter - white foliage with pronounced green veining and margins . This improved variety is more resistive to heat and humidity . Sky blue flowers fade to pink for a two - toned burden . Use in containers , shade seam , or as a earth back .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does brunnera come back every year?
Brunnerais a hardy long - lived perennial that come back reliably from twelvemonth to year .
How big do brunnera plants get?
Plants reach 8 to 18 inches magniloquent and 18 to 30 inches wide , reckon on the variety .
Do deer eat brunnera plants?
cervid tend to avoid brunnera due to the rough texture of the leaves , though graze can occur if other food for thought sources are scarce .
Is brunnera cold hardy?
Most brunnera multifariousness are extremely stout , to USDA zones 3 - 4 .
BRUNNERA LANDSCAPING TIPS
' Jack of Diamonds ' brunnera in a mixed shade container . exposure : Proven achiever
For borders and landscapes:
Use brunnera at the front of mixed margin , in mass plantings or as edging .
For slopes and hillsides:
Mass brunnera along a shady slope to serve stem erosion .
For containers:
set in a container by itself or alongside other tincture - loving plants .
There are many path to practice brunnera in your landscape . Here ’s how :
familiar flora : Brunnera coalesce well with many other shade buff includingastilbe , bergenia , bishop ’s chapeau , bleeding spirit , coral bells , fern , foamflower , geranium , hellebore , hosta , hydrangea , iris , Jacob ’s ladder , lamium , lungwortand Solomon ’s Navy SEAL .
