Bergenia cordifolia
Heartleaf bergenia
Common names: Elephant ears, Pigsqueak
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Pot size
- from 10 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Apr–May
- Hardiness
- Hardy
Photo: Sten at da.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Heartleaf bergenia, Bergenia cordifolia, is an evergreen foliage perennial with large, leathery, heart-shaped leaves that turn reddish in autumn. From mid-April to May, corresponding to calendar weeks 16 to 20, it bears sturdy panicles of pink to pinkish-purple flowers above the foliage. It is hardy, undemanding, and suitable as a ground cover under woody plants or as an edging planting.
Care instructions
Plant heartleaf bergenia in a partly shaded to shaded spot with humus-rich, well-drained soil. It also tolerates sunnier locations if the soil stays evenly moist. Water newly planted specimens regularly; established perennials manage well with occasional watering. Remove spent flower stalks after flowering, and in spring remove only truly dead leaves, since the evergreen foliage provides protection. Every three to four years the perennial can be divided, which keeps it vigorous and yields new plants for other spots in the bed.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringApr–May
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, well-drained, moist, nutrient-rich
The bergenia likes loose, humus-rich soil that holds moisture without becoming waterlogged. It feels most at home in shady to partly shaded spots under trees, because its thick leaves cope poorly with blazing sun on dry soil. A moderately nutrient-rich garden soil is perfectly enough; it tolerates chalky soils as well as slightly acidic ones.
Feeding
Light feeder
The bergenia gets by with little fertiliser. A helping of compost in spring, worked loosely into the top layer of soil, covers its nutrient needs for the whole season. It needs nothing more; too much fertiliser only encourages soft foliage instead of strong roots.
Overwintering
The bergenia is evergreen and completely hardy in Central Europe. Its leathery leaves stay on the stalk even in frost and often turn reddish, which is a natural protection against cold. A mulch layer of leaves does no harm, but is only really necessary for very young plants.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- Cuttings
The simplest method is division in spring or after flowering in late summer. To do this, dig up the rootstock and separate strong rhizome pieces with a leaf rosette, which you replant straight away. Leaf cuttings with a piece of rhizome also take reliably if you set them in well-drained seed compost and keep them evenly moist. After one to two years the new plants have developed into strong clumps.
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