Attractive, Rolling "Waves" of Brunnera

Do you know Brunnera? Despite being lucky enough to have seen many plants over time, I had not seen Brunnera until a few years back. I was taking a walk around my neighborhood and spying all the lovely plants that had come up in neighbors’ gardens. In a shaded area in one front garden, I saw a silvery beauty… heart-shaped leaves, bluish green base color. This was Brunnera macrophylla, the bigleaf Siberian Bugloss, in a variety that I later realized must have had a name that hinted at its silvery, frost-kissed coloration.

Brunnera is known as the False Forget-Me-Not because in spring, tiny blue flowers bloom on skinny stems atop the hearts I just mentioned. The flowers are truly dainty… petite enough to require very close inspection. They open up early, in April and May, heralding the arrival of the nice weather. 

I have actual Forget-Me-Nots in my garden, and although I have heard that they will spread, I have not had that sort of luck. My viewing of Forget-Me-Not flowers is limited to a very short bloom-time, and just a few flowering stems. So being able to see Brunnera flowers is a real treat, considering that their peaceful color, the perfect baby blue which is not found in many other flowering plants, is quite visible. On Brunnera, the flowers appear in much greater abundance than on my true Forget-Me-Nots.

You will find Brunnera in shady areas, so that works in its favor when the temperatures rise too much for some other plants. But it is worth saying that this is a plant that does not get “hot and bothered” in any way. Its leaves are very sturdy, not prone to looking tired on hot summer days. Some varieties have green foliage, and others are frosted in silver. The silvery ones are my favorites, with their unusual coloration that allows them to be seen even in the shadiest parts of the garden.

Brunnera is a mounding plant… a nice round assembly of leaves. It looks great when planted singularly, which is the way I first saw it in my neighbor’s front yard. However, I have noticed that some gardeners are getting quite creative with Brunnera, planting it along shaded pathways, en masse. This creates the look of rolling waves out at sea… very attractive.

Brunnera is a reliable perennial in Zones 3-8. Some gardeners let it die back naturally each winter, but I think it does well with a good cut-back in fall. If you want to use it as a ground cover, you will need to install your plants rather than wait for them to spread. Brunnera does spread slowly by creeping rhizomes, but it is not known for this. Instead, you will do the installation, but the resulting look will be worth the effort.

If there is anything to say about caring for Brunnera, it is to note the fact that it needs consistent moisture. While it tends never to look wilted or tired, this is by no means a drought-tolerant plant. Gardeners really do need to ensure good and even moisture. And because its crown is barely visible in the soil after it dies back or has its leaves cut back, gardeners must be on the lookout for the crown at all times, so as not to disturb it in the colder months. But in the scheme of things, this plant care is almost nothing at all… no heavy lifting here when it comes to caring for this pretty perennial. 

We know that taking a walk is good for the body and mind. And my stroll a few years back turned out to be good for my garden, too. It prompted me to add Brunnera, and I am glad that I did.