Brunnera macrophylla
Siberian bugloss
Common names: Largeleaf brunnera, Heartleaf brunnera, Caucasian forget-me-not, Great forget-me-not
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Pot size
- from 10 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Apr–May
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −30 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The Caucasian forget-me-not, botanically Brunnera macrophylla, is a spring perennial from the mountain forests of the Caucasus. From April to May, loose clusters of tiny, sky-blue flowers appear, closely resembling forget-me-nots. Only after flowering do the large, heart-shaped, rough leaves unfold, adorning the clump until autumn. The plant grows 30 to 50 cm tall and slowly forms broad tufts. It can be planted under trees, along the edge of woody areas, on the north side of a house, or in a partly shaded perennial bed, where it creates attractive foliage effects alongside hostas, ferns, and barrenworts. Cultivars such as 'Jack Frost' have silvery leaves with green veins that brighten shady areas. The green species self-seeds in suitable locations, and the seedlings are easy to transplant.
Care instructions
Plant the Caucasian forget-me-not in a partly shaded to shady spot with fresh, humus-rich soil. In full sun and on dry soil, the large leaves will scorch. Plant in spring or September, about 40 cm from neighboring plants, and water regularly in the first year, later only during prolonged drought. A layer of leaves or compost keeps the soil cool and moist. After flowering, remove faded flower heads if you do not want seedlings. If the leaves look brown and tattered in midsummer, cut them back close to the ground, and the plant will sprout fresh growth. In late winter, remove old, withered leaves. Silver-leaved cultivars need more shade and moisture than the green species. Remove plain green shoots from these cultivars, as they would otherwise outcompete the patterned ones.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringApr–May
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, loamy, well-drained, moist
Siberian bugloss grows best in humus-rich, loamy soil that stays evenly fresh and yet lets water drain away. It feels at home under trees and at the edges of woody plantings, where leaves are left to lie every year. Normal garden soil is enough, and whether it is slightly acidic or neutral hardly matters. On very dry, sandy soil the large leaves get brown edges in summer; in heavy, wet soil the roots rot. You can improve such soils with leaf compost.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Apr
Siberian bugloss is undemanding. A thin layer of ripe compost or leaf compost in spring, spread loosely around the plant, covers its needs for the whole year. On nutrient-poor, sandy soil you can add compost once more in early summer. In a container, give liquid fertiliser for flowering plants about once a month during the growing season.
Overwintering
Siberian bugloss is fully hardy and tolerates even severe frosts without protection. The leaves wither in autumn and over winter, which is completely normal. Leave the foliage lying until late winter; it protects the shoot buds. In a container, put the pot against a sheltered house wall, preferably in the shade, and water occasionally on frost-free days so that the root ball does not dry out.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- Cuttings
The easiest way to propagate Siberian bugloss is by division. After flowering in early summer, or in September, dig up the clump, divide it with a spade into pieces with several buds and replant them straight away. In winter, root cuttings also work: cut 5 to 8 cm long pieces of the thick roots and lay them horizontally in sandy soil. Silver-leaved varieties you propagate only in these ways, as they do not come true from seed. The green species self-seeds; dig up the seedlings in spring and set them in a new place.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Borage attracts pollinators and is supposed to keep tomato pests away from the nightshade family.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 14 more species in the catalogue
Source: organic greenhouse companion planting practice
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Siberian bugloss yourself
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