Brunnera
Give it shade and a leaf-mould mulch from the start; a brunnera that scorches in its first summer takes a full season to recover.
Care
Part shade to shade — the silver-marked forms in particular scorch badly in direct sun.
Medium — needs reliably moist soil; it wilts and scorches quickly when dry.
Humus-rich, moisture-retentive woodland soil. Leaf mould worked in at planting is the single best thing you can do for it.
Cut away tatty leaves as they appear and remove the flower stems once the sprays of blue have finished, which pushes the plant into making its best foliage.
A mulch of leaf mould or compost in spring is really all it wants. Feeding is only worthwhile on thin, hungry soil, where a light general feed helps the leaves size up.
Divide after flowering or in early autumn, keeping the divisions damp and shaded while they re-root. The plain green species seeds itself; the silver and variegated forms must be divided, since seedlings revert to green.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- AprilMulch with leaf mould as the flower sprays open. how ›
- JuneRemove spent flower stems so the plant puts its energy into leaves. how ›
- AugustWater in dry spells — a dry brunnera scorches and looks ruined for the rest of the season. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- AprilMulch with leaf mould as the flower sprays open. how ›
- JuneRemove spent flower stems so the plant puts its energy into leaves. how ›
- AugustWater in dry spells — a dry brunnera scorches and looks ruined for the rest of the season. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchMulch with leaf mould as the flower sprays open. how ›
- MayRemove spent flower stems so the plant puts its energy into leaves. how ›
- AugustWater in dry spells — a dry brunnera scorches and looks ruined for the rest of the season. how ›
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchMulch with leaf mould as the flower sprays open. how ›
- MayRemove spent flower stems so the plant puts its energy into leaves. how ›
- AugustWater in dry spells — a dry brunnera scorches and looks ruined for the rest of the season. how ›
Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Brown, papery patches, worst on the silver-leaved forms.
What to do. Move into deeper shade and keep the soil moist.
How to spot it. Holes in the young leaves in spring.
What to do. Protect the emerging growth; damage matters less once the leaves toughen.
How to spot it. Plain green seedlings appearing round a silver-leaved plant.
What to do. Remove them — they are seedlings, not the parent form, and are far more vigorous.
Popular varieties
Questions
Brunnera: is it hardy?
H6: Hardy in the vast majority of UK gardens. It survives down to −20 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes in a shaded spot, provided it is never allowed to dry out — a pot dries far faster than woodland soil.
Brunnera: when do you prune it?
Cut away tatty leaves as they appear and remove the flower stems once the sprays of blue have finished, which pushes the plant into making its best foliage.
Brunnera: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in April–May.
When do you feed it?
A mulch of leaf mould or compost in spring is really all it wants. Feeding is only worthwhile on thin, hungry soil, where a light general feed helps the leaves size up. Feeding months, UK: April.