12 Cultivars Of Heart-Shaped Leaf Brunnera For A Low-Maintenance Garden

Brunnera macrophylla, commonly known as Siberian bugloss and false forget-me-nots, is a shade-loving perennial beloved for its striking heart-shaped leaves and attractive flowers that resemble true forget-me-nots. This hardy plant thrives in moist soil, as long as the soil drains well. It requires minimal upkeep, making it the ideal choice for low-maintenance gardens. In fact, once established, brunnera is resistant to deer, rabbits, and insects. The plant's dense foliage is a natural weed suppressant while its blooms are attractive to bees and other pollinators. Whether you grow brunnera as a shade-loving ground cover in mass plantings or use it to create focal points, you can count on the foliage to add color and charm throughout the growing season while demanding little care or maintenance.

Plant lovers who wish to add brunnera to their shade gardens will find that there are actually many beautiful varieties of brunnera to choose from. These cultivars vary in foliage and form, giving you options when it comes to designing your garden space. For example, 'Jack Frost' is a popular choice, boasting silvery-white leaves with green veins that sparkle in the shade. 'Hadspen Cream' features creamy white leaf margins that provide a stunning contrast to the leaf's deep green centers. There's also the option to go with 'King's Ransom,' which combines the best of both, with silvery foliage edged in gold that develops into a soft cream as the summer season goes on. Besides striking foliage patterns and colors, the leaves on many brunnera species also sport an interesting shape: that of a heart. Below we explore 12 varieties of brunnera that have this pretty leaf shape, and outline how they can add interest to a low maintenance shade garden.

Perhaps one of the most sought-after varieties of Brunnera macrophylla is 'Jack Frost.' This cultivar is known for its striking silver leaves etched with green primary and secondary veins, which create a frosted look that glows in shady areas. It begins blooming mid-spring with delightful star-shaped blue flowers that last for about three to four weeks. All in all, you'll find 'Jack Frost' both captivating and reliable, making it an excellent addition to any low-maintenance landscape.

What sets 'Jack Frost' apart is not just its beauty but also its resilience. It tolerates a wider range of conditions better than many other brunnera cultivars, including occasion mild dryness and warmer temperatures. In addition, the plant is considered a vigorous grower with heavy flower production. 'Jack Frost' is so spectacular that it was even named The Perennial Plant Association's Perennial Plant of the Year in 2012. Home gardeners can use this cultivar as ground cover or as a border plant. It also one of the beautiful plants that can thrive in containers in the shade.

'Alexander's Great' builds on the classic charm of 'Jack Frost' but takes things to a whole new level with its oversized silver leaves and pronounced green veining. Like its smaller counterpart, the plant produces tiny blue flowers with white to yellow centers come spring, adding a touch of color to create an eye-catching focal point for your shade bed. The cultivar was first discovered in the garden of Alexander Zukeivich of Belarus, hence the name, and then later sold by Terra Nova Nurseries.

This cultivar's main distinction is its size. While many brunneras stay relatively compact, 'Alexander's Great' can reach heights of 1 ½ feet and widths of 2 ½ feet. This lends the plant to a wider range of designs and possible landscape locations. For example, you could mass plant 'Alexander's Great' in a woodland area, use it to create a border around your shade bed, or add small groups of it near a pond. 

Growing well in both southern and northern climates, 'Alchemy Silver' is a showstopper with its broad silver foliage that features a subtle green outline around each leaf. In fact, it's the thickness and texture of its foliage that aid the plant in doing well in a variety of conditions. Like other cultivars, this one features lovely light blue blooms; however, these flowers only last from May to June. When it comes to low-maintenance perennials, you'll definitely want to keep 'Alchemy Silver' at the top of your list.

The cultivar grows to about 14 to 18 inches around, making it perfect for tight spaces or urban gardens, and it can easily be grown in pots. It also boasts a high crown count  and attractively uniform growth habit. In addition to container gardening, 'Alchemy Silver's' low-growing form makes it ideal as an accent plant in small gardens or to create an edge along a shady path.

Blooming mid to late spring, Dawson's White' showcases deep green leaves edged with wide, creamy-white margins. In the spring, it produces showy blue flowers that brighten up otherwise dark shade gardens. The plant reaches heights of up to 16 inches with a width of up to 33 inches.

While brunneras typically prefer moist soil, 'Dawson's White' can handle drier conditions better than most, making it a good candidate for a low-maintenance garden where you have no intentions of running around with a watering can. Another way to differentiate this variety is by its foliage. The border of the leaves continues to grow in size throughout the summer, creating a bolder look than the softer-edged 'Hadspen Cream.' Its bright margins make it a favorite for adding contrast in woodland gardens or beneath trees. It's important to note that if you choose to grow 'Dawson's White' in a pot, you'll need to use a container with lots of drainage holes that is at least 3 gallons in size.

Just like most brunneras, 'Betty Bowring' dazzles with its brilliant green foliage and colorful star-shaped flowers that make their appearance in late spring. The cultivar is known for growing as high as 19 inches and as wide as 42 inches and for requiring little care, making it a top choice for low-maintenance gardens.

Unlike many brunneras which produce blooms in various shades of blue, 'Betty Bowring' is unique for its pure white flowers. The clean white blossoms stand out against the plant's deep green foliage, lending an elegant look to shaded garden beds. In addition to the captivating white flowers, 'Betty Bowring' can tolerate both partial and full shade, allowing home growers to plant the cultivar in garden beds or along borders with dappled light conditions — or ones that receive not direct light at all – landing it squarely on the list of beautiful flowers that will grow in shade. 

Belgian plant breeder Chris Ghyselen created 'Mr. Morse' by crossing the highly popular 'Betty Bowring' with the lesser known 'Inspector Morse.' The cultivar displays deep green veins throughout its shimmering silver leaves and produces flowers at the beginning of spring, which can be enjoyed until early summer. Relatively compact in size (12 inches in height and 18 inches in width) 'Mr. Morse's' flower production is more on the moderate side.

From 'Inspector Morse,' 'Mr. Morse' gets frosty-colored leaves and a higher tolerance for dryer soils. The snow-white flowers come from 'Betty Bowring,' which is a deviation from the more commonly seen blue blooms. The result is a refined, cool-toned plant perfect for white-themed gardens or areas where blue might clash. Its reliable performance and easy care make it a strong pick for busy gardeners wanting a charming, low-maintenance landscape. 'Mr. Morse' can be grown in containers or woodland gardens, as well as around ponds, along garden borders, or in between shrubs.

One of the newer brunnera macrophylla cultivars, 'King's Ransom' was brought to light by Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nurseries. This variety adds a regal twist to the brunnera family with its silver leaves rimmed in golden-yellow, which gradually fades to cream as the season progresses. The dynamic border surrounding the leaves creates visual interest throughout the summer, allowing for a changing palette in shaded beds. Of course, home gardeners will also love the traditional blue flowers, which bloom from late spring to early summer.

In addition to its evolving color, this sport of 'Jack Frost' is significantly more heat-tolerant than similar varieties, like 'Hadspen Cream.' Its durability, combined with its unique border coloration, makes it an excellent choice for gardeners in warmer climates. Since 'King's Ransom' is compact, growing about 12 inches tall and 12 inches wide, it can be enjoyed in smaller one-gallon containers. That makes it ideal for urban locations and homes with less of a landscape.

When it comes to stunning blue flowers you should grow in your garden, 'Hadspen Cream' is a top choice. The cultivar's flowers are a light blue and they can be seen showing off between the months of February and June. This beloved cultivar is also known for its soft, light green leaves that are edged in creamy white. Over the course of the summer, you'll find the wide creamy white edges fade to a pale yellow. Both the height and width of 'Hadspen Cream' top out at 1 ½ feet.

This cultivar's elegance and reliability have earned it the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. While it's subtler than 'Dawson's White,' it appeals to gardeners who favor a delicate, more harmonious look in their shade plantings. It thrives in similar low-maintenance conditions as other brunneras; however, while definitely not drought tolerant, it can withstand more dryness than a handful of other cultivars. 

Dark shade gardens are easily brightened with the addition of 'Diane's Gold.' This brunnera cultivar is quite stunning with pale blue blooms that rise above the plant's golden-yellow heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are known for their long bloom time, first making their appearance mid spring. Although the perennial only reaches a height of 12 inches, it can spread out twice as wide. Gardeners will appreciate how easy the perennial is to care for, requiring just a little pruning here and there to keep it healthy and looking neat and tidy.

One of the things that set 'Diane's Gold' apart from other brunnera is the lack of a border along the leaves, as well as the absence of heavy veining. The gold color is also a deviation from the plant's traditional silver or green foliage. 'Diane's Gold' is also the first golden brunnera to hold its color all summer long. It's important to note that while the blooms are not as showy and prolific as that of other cultivars, 'Diane's Gold's' vibrant foliage more than makes up for it. This option is best suited for use as a border plant, to brighten up garden beds, or to add color to a mixed container garden.

Although this brunnera plant with heart-shaped leaves produces adorable blue flowers like other cultivars, 'Looking Glass' still has features that set it apart. In fact, it's also an award-winning cultivar, drawing attention for the glossiness of its silver leaves, which have such light green veins that they are barely noticeable. Flowers bloom from February to June with the plant reaching a height and width of 1 ½ feet at maturity.

In addition to its sleek appearance, which is more reflective than 'Jack Frost', it stays more compact than some of the larger varieties. That makes it a better option for container gardens or small shaded spaces. It can also be planted as a thick ground cover when needed. Small ferns, geraniums, and centaurea all pair well with this eye-catching cultivar. Finally, 'Looking Glass' is also better able to handle dryness than some of the other varieties, adding to its appeal as a low-maintenance plant.

The brunnera cultivar 'Langtrees' got its name from the location in which it was first found, the langtrees ornamental garden in Croyde, North Devon, England. This delightful variety reaches heights and widths of up to 1 ½ feet and features striking blue flowers that bloom from April to May. The traditional heart-shaped leaves are rough in texture and painted a rich shade of green that adds color and charm to any garden space.

One unique trait of 'Langtrees' is its blue flowers, which feature bright white centers, a small but eye-catching detail not found in all cultivars. Additionally, the plant's green leaves are decorated with silver spots along the edges. This is a welcome distinction, as many cultivars have leaves with solid borders. It's also important to note that 'Langtrees' performs poorly in hot southern climates, making it better suited to northern gardens. Gardeners will find this variety does well as a ground cover, border, or rose underplant, but will also thrive when grown in pots that are at least 3 gallons in size.

If you're searching for a plant to use as a focal point within your shade garden, look no further than 'Emerald Mist.' At maturity, this cultivar reaches a height and width of about 15 inches. It has unique foliage in an intense green with a starkly contrasting silver pattern. The leaves also feature a silvery sheen that creates an eye-catching glimmer in dark gardens. Blue flowers appear and incorporate a pop of color during the months of April and May. Although flower production is lower with this cultivar, you'll still be able to cut away a few flowers to add to the fresh bouquet you display on your table.

This brunnera variety is particularly well-suited to planting in groups or as a tidy, sparkling edging along shady walkways. Of course, it can also be grown in containers — where it will spill attractively — as long as it's protected from afternoon sun. Compared to 'Langtrees,' 'Emerald Mist's' pattern is more pronounced and unified, giving it a more dynamic look. The combination of intricate leaf detail and sturdy growth makes it a standout in modern shade gardens.