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My Top Pick Perennial for the Shade Garden: Brunnera 'Jack Frost'


This little gem of a plant a favorite in the shade garden. Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' offers beauty and interest all through the growing season -- I love it! 

Early Spring Blossoms Begin to Delight


Beginning early in Spring, new growth is soon followed by delightful, delicate little blue flowers This plant continues to delight throughout the summer, offering gorgeous foliage that shines in its shady location.


The heart-shaped leaves are filigreed with dainty paintings of frosty silvery-white, with green venation showing through.   

As the plant matures, the heart-shaped leaves grow larger, and the foliage becomes the star.


An herbaceous perennial, Brunnera pairs well with other shade-loving plants, including hostas, heucheras, and hucherellas.

'Jack Frost' will grow into a nice, loose mound shape, spreading slowly by rhizomes to form a nice clump.


This plant prefers moist, organically rich soil. The edges of the plant will brown slightly if watering is inconsistent in hot summers.  No diseases or pests. Deer and rabbits leave this plant alone!


I delight in the patterns on the leaves, and its hardiness to summer storms that keeps the foliage looking great all season.


I love this pretty little marvel in my shade garden!



Here are the facts:

Botanical name: Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'

Common name: Siberian bugloss * 

Family: Boraginaceae

Hardiness: Zone 3-8

Height: 12"-15"

Spread: 12"- 20"

                                                 Flowering time: April-May                                    

                                                 Location: Shade to part-shade 


* Bugloss comes from Greek and means ox tongue... Perhaps the plant was thus named due to the leaf's texture being reminiscent of an ox tongue (that's just a guess!)