Brunnera

I always forget to suggest Brunnera when people ask for suitable shady garden ideas. It has been in full bloom for about two weeks, so sweet when the tiny leaves emerge and gives very little trouble. It has tripled in size, and now I need to find out how to separate.

Other than the fact that deer might like it, Brunnera Jack Frost remains a lovely compact plant all summer long.

Marcia

My deer leave brunnera pretty much alone; maybe too busy mowing down everything else in sight.
I like that my brunnera reseed, which so far hasn't been a nuisance.

I have a severe deer problem, and they have always left the brunnera alone. Someone told me that the leaf texture is too coarse for their taste - whatever the reason, I'm glad for it. I like that mine reseed too - just the right amount to increase without being aggressive and also easy to dig up the seedlings to share at our DG Mid Atlantic plant swaps. I received some of the plain green ones at one of the swaps, and bought Jack Frost and Looking Glass several years back. They continue to thrive and do well here, so I'm always ready to add more cultivars. Last weekend, I was at the National Arboretum plant sale, and bought two cultivars that I hadn't seen before - Sea Heart and Silver Heart. Mine are in bloom too, so pretty.

Found a photo with the brunnera in bloom

Gorgeous!! Beautiful shot aspenhill.

It is gorgeous, aspenhill!

Mine's a bit smaller. It's grown a lot since originally planted. Is it self seeding?

Hi Cathy, yes they are self seeding. Seedlings are easy to identify, and easy to dig up and move around. I usually start noticing them when they have two full leaves. I've never gotten around to dividing mine, so I don't have any experience on that to pass on. Your photo is lovely - I can never get enough of the pictures that everyone posts here on DG, but I admit I am most partial to the shade plants and shade gardens... Terri

I love plants whose foliage is the main attraction, which often are shade plants.
Although the flowers are pretty, it's just the foliage you'll see most of the summer.
Brunnera foliage can set off adjacent plants with varied texture or variegation.
Here are a couple pictures of brunnera with other shade plants.
As well as a picture of the bloom.
I also included a picture of an older cultivar which you don't find much anymore, Dawson's White.
Even though I love Jack Frost and Looking Glass, I still like Dawson's White.
The only picture I could find is a small plant, but pretty cute!

Edited to add that my only complaint about brunnera is that it fades terribly down the stretch.
By late August or September, foliage is ratty, brown, ragged.

This message was edited May 2, 2013 5:55 AM

My Brunnera doesn't look as robust as either of yours, Aspen and Wee; I probably need to mulch more to soften up the soil.... Any other suggestions?

Happy, take a look to the right behind the bird bath in the photo I posted - that is your solomon's seal that you gave me at the first swap I went to. I think that picture was posted the first year after the swap, any my have they grown since then!

Wee, I like that Dawson's White - I'll have to be on the look out for it. I had one called Hadspen Cream at one point, but it is the only brunnera that has died on me. I never see it around much anymore either.

Gotta love that Solomon's seal -- it looks so delicate but it is awfully tough!

I love Dawson's White, but mine is just about dead. I found two tiny little plants remaining just now -- practically needed a magnifying glass to see them -- so I tried adding some mulch and moisture crystals to see if I could coax them back to life, but I think they are goners. Actually, they are healthy enough, but teeny. I think I like them better than Jack Frost and Looking Glass -- can't say quite why.

I like your Dawson's White, too. As for the Solomon's Seal, polygonatum, I can't get rid of it. The stolons go on forever.

Of my two tiny Dawson's White that I replanted last night, something dug into the soil and made off with one and uprooted the other (which I have replanted, but with fingers crossed). Grr.

Do you have chipmunks?

Do I ever! Do they eat Brunnera? It wasn't the usual chipmunk hole (which is neat and round and deep).

Try sprinkling it with ground cayenne pepper until the plants get firmly rooted. Rodents are always interested in anything that disturbs the soil in "their" territory.

You are so right. I was gone for the weekend and found an upended rose I had just planted.....

I have chipmunks, squirrels and raccoons that usually take the blame for such things. I can buy a small package/bag of the ground cayenne relatively cheap and sprinkle it when I plant something new. Usually works.

I'll add it to my Costco list....