Brunnera macrophylla Kings Ramson - Siberian Bugloss

Brunnera macrophylla King's Ramson, also known as the Great Forget-Me-Not, is a variety that surprises with its silver foliage, heavily veined with green-veins, and surrounded by cream-yellow variegation. It is a deciduous perennial groundcover that thrives in cool shade and illuminates in spring with tall, truly blue flowers, as light as those of forget-me-nots. With no requirements other than a moist soil, it spreads slowly but surely, and easily naturalises in woodland or 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 grows in forests in eastern Europe and northwest Asia, in humus-rich soils. It is cultivated for its delicate flowers that resemble forget-me-nots and its groundcover habit that forms a dense carpet of deciduous foliage.

'King's Ramson' is a white variety derived from the famous 'Jack Frost' variety, which is distinguished by the magnificent colours of its foliage, as well as its good tolerance to the heat of the sun. In April-May, numerous small, very blue flowers appear on slender peduncles on stems 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12in) tall, arranged in paniculate clusters (conical clusters). If the first flowers are removed when it fades, there may be a second bloom in autumn. At maturity, this brunnera reaches a height of 45cm (18in) when in flower. The foliage forms a generous mound of heart-shaped, slightly hairy leaves, with a final size of 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) in length. The clumps spread slowly through their rhizomatous roots but also self-seed quite easily, not always true to the parent plant.

Very hardy, to -20°C (1°F), the Giant forget-me-not 'King's Ramson' is a delightful, groundcover that can be planted under deciduous trees and shrubs. Its foliage brightens up shady areas and is highly decorative in shaded pots and containers. It is also a good border plant that works wonders in wild gardens or informal perennial beds; with lamiums, hostas, heucheras, bleeding hearts, euphorbias, or columbines. It pairs well with spring-flowering bulbs, especially tulips, in partial shade, of course.