This spring, we’re putting the spotlight on a perennial with unique, frosty-looking leaves and dainty blue flowers. “Queen of Hearts” Heartleaf Brunnera is here to adorn your gardens. This queen thrives in full or partial shade and offers eight weeks of delightful, baby blue blooms…an early spring pollinator’s dream. With their heart-shaped leaves reminding us of hostas, they grow in lush clumps and spread out via a rhizomatous root system. This means that the root is actually a horizontally growing stem underneath the soil’s surface, sending out roots and shoots from its “nodes.” This manner of spreading creates a layer of abundance and grandeur, gracefully weaving between its companion plants.
These sweet, delicate flowers resemble Forget-Me-Nots. Though they are distantly related, Brunnera macrophylla has much more to offer after the blossoms have gone. She’ll provide a stunning backdrop to any Plain Jane green-leafed plant.
We love other Brunnera varieties, including Jack Frost, Jack of Diamonds, and Hadspen Cream, because of their uniquely colored leaves. However, this variety is our favorite because her heart-shaped leaves are more pronounced, her silver overlay is more defined, and she isn’t as prone to rust and disease.
As is the case with many of our seasonal flower features, this plant is low-maintenance, pleasing to the eye, and a team player. It fares well in our clay-like soil, invites bees, and says “Get out of here!” to deer, rabbits, and slugs. Gee…she’s not just a pretty face! She’s not asking for much. Just plant her, enjoy her, and she’ll thank you with big, bold leaves and a thick cover that can be trusted to crowd out weeds and lighten dark corners all season long.