'Sterling Silver' Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera)
Perennial
- Deer and rabbit resistant.
- Container friendly size.
- Shade garden interest.
- Zones 3-8, part sun/shade, 14" tall x 24" wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Siberian bugloss, or Brunnera, are reliable and hardy shade perennials with silver foliage. Sprays of forget-me-not-like flowers rise above its low-mounding foliage in spring, which can be enjoyed alongside lungworts, foamflowers, or other spring bloomers. Given that it's low maintenance, deer resistant, and tolerant of shade, it's effortless to grow for gardeners of any level. Create an eclectic woodland garden by pairing it with other shade foliage plants, or plant it in masses for an attractive ground cover. However you use it, you can't go wrong!
Details
Patent: PP#31280
Common name: Heartleaf brunnera
Zone: 3 - 8
Sun exposure: Shade (-4 hrs/day) to part shade (4-6 hrs/day)
Height x width: 10-14" X 20-24"
Flower color: Sky blue flowers
Foliage color: Silver with green veins
Bloom time: Spring
Features: Wet soils, rain gardens, proven winners, heat tolerant, ground covers, deer resistant, cold tolerant
Uses: Container gardening, edging, ground cover, mass planting, ornamental, small spaces, specimen, under planting, woodland
How to Grow
Light: Full to part shade - can tolerate six hours of indirect sun each day. Shade is necessary for healthy plants and abundant blooms. If exposed to more sun it will require moist soil or supplemental watering to keep foliage from burning.
Water: Moderate, prefers even moisture.
Spacing: Plant 2' apart.
Fertilizing: Grow in well-drained soil that is moderately fertile and humus-rich. Fertilizing at planting time or during the first growing season is not recommended. If soil is poor in quality a light scattering of garden fertilizer in spring should be sufficient.
Winterizing: Keep old foliage over winter to protect crowns. After the ground freezes, apply a loose layer of mulch - oak leaves, pine boughs, or straw. You can gradually remove mulch, and cut back old foliage in early spring.
Maintenance & pruning: When the clump starts to deteriorate in the center, it is time to divide it. Plants may be divided easily in early autumn. Plant crowns at soil level. Sometimes self seeds generously, but usually the seedlings have plain green leaves. Remove any green foliage that appears on variegated forms
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
In the second year these Sterling Silver Brunnera really took off, and flowered beautifully. Perfect bright spot, thriving in even heavy shade.
I purchased 18 perennials in mid-May. Twelve different varieties.
This photo shows about a third of them and the Bugloss look the best. I'm happy with these after about five weeks.
EDIT: I am adding two additional photos. As you can see, the other plants died but the Bugloss managed to make it through a winter. I think I will buy more because they seem to survive the deer.
The plants were healthy and had a great root system. I planted them right away and they seem happy. Now I just need to find a way to keep a darn squirrel from digging one up all the time.
Ordered these and they never grew. So sad because they looked beautiful online.
Our friendly customer service team is here to help! Just contact us at [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants. After further investigation, we will be able to better assist you. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
Your plants are always so healthy! If I could only keep the very hungry rabbits away!! My husband built cages to put around the new tender plants. Works great!
the plants were individually packed and then boxed together and arrived in perfect condition. Each plant looked healthy and was a good size. I unpacked the plants immediately and watered them and planted them in my garden 2 days later. And weeks later each plant looks healthy and beautiful.
It was beautiful. It arrived healthy. I mixed it in with my hostas.
I ordered several plants and received them in a timely manner. They were packaged well and arrived in perfect condition. The plants are healthy and well rooted. I am looking forward to seeing the plants, and especially the bugloss flourish in my garden.
Just planted. Check back with me in the spring
Hello! We do have a guarantee on all our plants incase you have any trouble. Our fall guarantee covers plants received after September 1 until May 2024! If you received your plants within that timeframe, we would happily apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Our team would love to hear from you if you could reach out by contacting [email protected]. Happy Gardening!
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee
I ordered plants from several online sources this year. All were received in good condition, but those from Great Garden Plants took the longest to unpack, lost the lost stems during this process, and generated the most unrecyclable waste. Why? Stapling moisture retaining plastic to the pot is simply unnecessary. No other vendor does this. Proven winners itself does not do this. Please reconsider this step in your process.
Thank you for contacting us. We apologize you received plants not up to our standards. As we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors like shipping and handling are outside of our control, causing issues like this to sometimes occur. Please email pictures of any plant in question to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible.
New plants are thriving in our tough soil. This plant is a nice contrast to the mulch and natural area. Bold leaves. Very pleased.
I lost all the plants I bought in the fall in the fall of 2022.
Please email pictures of any plant in question to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible.
I have 6 of these plants that have done well all spring and summer. Recently 2 of them turned brown and lost their foliage and a 3rd is also starting to look that way. I’m in zone 7B/8A. Is there a way to know if these plants have died or are they going dormant for the fall/winter?
Hello! It's possible your bugloss are entering dormancy, especially if you've had cooler weather. You can always send pictures of your plants to [email protected] and one of our amazing customer service experts would be happy to help you!
Is it ok to plant these in the fall? Will they Winter well ?
Hello there! Fall is a fantastic time for planting shrubs, trees, and perennials because the cooler temperatures and shorter days mean less water stress for the plant, and that means less work for you in terms of watering and monitoring your new plants. Just make sure to get them in the ground at least 6 weeks before the first hard frost of fall in your area!
Will it grow in covina California
Hi there! 'Sterling Silver' Siberian Bugloss is a perennial in USDA zones 3-8. It looks like Covina, CA is zone 10 which will be too hot for this plant. Follow the link below to find plants suitable for your area. You're sure to find something you love!
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/collections/plants-for-zone-10
Are they let friendly? I have a Curious Cat!!
You can check out our blog post about cat friendly plants
https://blog.greatgardenplants.com/15-cat-friendly-plants-for-your-garden/
However, you should check with your vet for more information on plant toxicity and cats.