Beautiful Varieties Of Brunnera That Grow Well In Shade Gardens

For many people, creating a pleasant garden space in a yard with tall trees or one that's shaded by nearby structures can be a bit of a challenge. A lot of flowering plants are sun-lovers and will simply not bloom when grown in the shade. However, if you dig deep, you will find there are certain species that will flourish in shade gardens and even delight you with gorgeous blooms. One such plant is the false forget-me-not, or Brunnera macrophylla. This appealing perennial is in the borage family and will grow well in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8. It has attractive heart-shaped leaves and tiny but showy blue or white flowers in spring that will remind you of forget-me-nots. This is, in fact, a beautiful perennial you'll want to grow next to your spring bulbs.

While this lovely clumping species is perfect for your shade garden, there are some other beautiful varieties of brunnera you might also want to consider. These include 'Alexander's Great', 'Jack Frost', and 'Alchemy Silver'. All of these varieties share the same pretty flowers, but what makes them unique are the color variations in the foliage. While the leaves are a solid green on the main species, the cultivars have variegations in their foliage to add some additional vibrancy to your shaded landscape. Plus, you'll be pleased to know that these beautiful ground covers are also great for preventing soil erosion.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' will charm you with its massive heart-shaped variegated leaves which are silvery white in color but have a mass of dark green veins. The edges of these feature a deep green border which adds to their appeal. What's also quite unique about this cultivar is that it's quite large and can grow to a height of 5 feet with a spread of 2.5 feet. This variety was introduced by Terra Nova Nurseries in 2013. From the same plant breeders comes another variety known as Brunnera 'Alchemy Silver'. This features similar silvery white leaves with deep green veins but only grows to a height of around 14 inches with a spread of 18 inches, making it a much smaller-growing variety than 'Alexander's Great'.

Finally, Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' also sports shimmering silvery leaves, again with those outstanding dark green veins. This plant forms an attractive clump reaching a height and spread of about 18 inches. All brunnera varieties prefer moist soil with excellent drainage, and are low-maintenance plants, as long as they receive enough moisture when there's a lack of rainfall. It's recommended to add mulch around the base of the plants to help keep the soil cool and prevent evaporation loss. As a bonus, you'll even find that these brunnera varieties are among several beautiful plants that will thrive in containers in the shade.