Brunnera macrophylla Alexanders Great - Siberian Bugloss

Brunnera macrophylla Alexander's Great is a giant version of the Siberian forget-me-not 'Jack Frost', that appeared through spontaneous mutation in a Belarusian garden. It has the same silver foliage, deeply veined with green, but its heart-shaped leaves are huge.  It eventually forms a lush groundcover foliage over almost 1 square metre! Its spring flowering, which closely resembles that of forget-me-nots, sometimes lasts until early summer. With no other requirement than a not too dry soil, this shade-loving perennial slowly but surely spreads and easily naturalizes in wooded areas or in slightly neglected areas of the garden.

Brunnera macrophylla, also known as Siberian bugloss, is a perennial belonging to the Boraginaceae family, just like forget-me-nots and common borage. It lives in forests in eastern Europe and northwestern Asia, on humus-rich soils. It is grown for its delicate flowers that resemble forget-me-nots and its ground-covering habit that forms a thick carpet of deciduous foliage.

The 'Alexander's Great' variety, introduced in 2014, stands out for its large size. At maturity, this brunnera will reach 60 cm (24in) in height when in bloom, and 80-90 cm (32in) in width. The foliage forms a generous mound of heart-shaped, slightly hairy leaves, with a final size of 10 to 16 cm (4 to 6in) in length. Leaves are silver-white, with hints of bright green depending on their age. In April-May, numerous small, very blue flowers appear on delicate peduncles on stems that are 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in) tall, and are grouped in paniculate clusters (conical clusters). If care is taken to remove this first flowering when it fades, there may be a second bloom in autumn. The dense clumps slowly spread through their rhizomatous roots and can self-seed quite easily, not always true to the parent plant.

Very hardy, to -20°C (1°F), the Siberian forget-me-not 'Alexander's Great' is an astonishing groundcover, both spectacular and carefree.  It can be planted along pathways or under deciduous trees and bushes. Its foliage and delightfully romantic flowers brighten up shady areas, just like variegated hostas. It is also a good border plant that works wonders in wild gardens, among partial shade perennials; deadnettles, lungworts, foamflowers, hostas, coral bells, bleeding hearts, spurges, or columbines. It pairs well with spring-flowering bulbs, especially with pink or purple tulips.