Brunnera macrophylla (brun-NE-ra mak-rof-IL-a), commonly known as Siberian Bugloss.

Pronunciation information from Plant Names Simplified, 3rd Edition by AT Johnson, HA Smith and AP Stockdale.

 

Brunnera macrophylla is not native to Britain or Ireland, originating from Turkey to the Caucasus. It is a herbaceous perennial with large, heart-shaped basal leaves.

 

This species is rhizomatous, spreading via modified stems below or on the soil surface. These rhizomes store nutrients, helping the plant survive drought, cold and disturbance, and recover from damage, making it highly resilient.

 

A hardy perennial, it grows in chalk, clay, loam or sand, and tolerates acid, alkaline and neutral soils. It prefers a cool, humus-rich, well-drained site in partial or full shade rather than south-facing aspects.

 

Ideal as ground cover, particularly in shade, its delicate blue spring flowers give rise to the name Great Forget-Me-Not. Popular varieties include ‘Jack Frost’, ‘Betty Bowring’, ‘Dawson’s White’ and ‘Hadspen Cream’.

 

Brunnera flowers symbolise healing and, in Victorian times, everlasting love.

 

Images I have used:

 

Brunnera flowers:
 Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’
 Photo (c)2006 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Brunnera macrophylla ‘Hadspen Cream’
 Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 

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