With delicate sprays of dainty flowers and handsome foliage, this rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial brightens up the garden from spring until fall. The forget-me-not-like flowers with true` blue petals surrounding a white center appear on top of slender stems up to 18″ high in early to mid spring and are attractive to bees and other pollinators. As the flowers fade large, hairy, heart-shaped basal leaves up to 6″ wide appear and form clumps that last all season. The leaves may be green, variegated, or silvery or frosted in appearance. In warm climates the leaves may remain all winter but become ratty as the year progresses. Salt tolerant and resistant to deer, rabbits, diseases and pests, Siberian bugloss is happiest in a moist shady environment such as found along a stream bank and will slowly grow and multiply without need for dividing or other maintenance. It needs to be well watered in its first year but becomes somewhat drought tolerant thereafter. Also known as false forget-me-not or heartleaf, Brunnera macrophylla is native to the Caucasus and is a member of the borage family, Boraginaceae that also includes forget-me-not, comfrey, and lungwort. The genus name, Brunnera, honors Swiss botanist Samuel Brunner (1790-1844). The specific epithet, macrophylla, is from the Greek words μακρός (macros) meaning long and φύλλα (fylla) meaning, leaves.
Type: Herbaceous perennial (may be evergreen in warm climates)
Height: 12-18″
Light: Shade to part shade
Soil: Average, moist, well-drained but somewhat drought tolerant once established; salt tolerant
Spread Speed: Slow
Propagation: Division
Hardiness: Zones 3-8
Outstanding Selections:
‘Jack Frost’ (silvery leaves with green veins, more heat tolerant than species)
‘Looking Glass’ (more solid silvery leaf surface than ‘Jack Frost’)
‘Silver Heart’ (white frosted leaves)
‘Variegata’ (heavily variegated leaves)
‘Diane’s Gold’ (chartreuse leaves)
Photo Credit: Wikipedia