Brunnera plants
Brunnera is a delightful herbaceous perennial with large, heart-shaped, coarse leaves which are often variegated and distinctively veined. Native to woodlands of North West Asia and East Europe, it produces delightful sprays of tiny, light blue spring flowers which combine well with hostas and ferns. Brunnera is commonly known as Bugloss, which comes Greek to mean ‘ox tongue’, given the tongue-shape and rough texture of the leaves, resembling an ox tongue. It is a shade-loving perennial, thriving in the dappled shade under deciduous trees and shrubs, making it well suited to a woodland planting schemes, underplanting or as a ground cover perennial in a moist, shady location. As a herbaceous perennial it will die back to the ground in winter before bursting back into life again in the spring. Spreading by underground rhizomes, Brunnera should be grown in a sheltered site to bring out the best of its variegation. Lamprocapnos spectabilis Alba is an excellent companion plant as they enjoy the same conditions and its white flowers contrast beautifully with the flowers and foliage of Brunneras.