Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass'
Common Name: Siberian bugloss 
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Boraginaceae
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 0.50 to 1.50 feet
Spread: 0.50 to 1.50 feet
Bloom Time: April to May
Bloom Description: Blue
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Ground Cover, Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Colorful
Tolerate: Rabbit

Culture

Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in part shade. Prefers consistently moist, organically rich soils in shady areas. Generally intolerant of dry soils, but tolerates some dryness better than most other cultivars of this species. Foliage may scorch in hot summer sun. Plants prefer cool summers, and generally will not perform well in the hot and humid summer conditions of the deep South (USDA Zones 7-9). Clumps slowly spread by creeping rhizomes to form thick ground covers. Plants may self seed in optimum growing conditions, but seedlings of variegated forms may not come true (may lose variegation).

Noteworthy Characteristics

Brunnera macrophylla, commonly called Siberian bugloss, is a rhizomatous, clump-forming perennial that is primarily grown in shady areas for its attractive heart-shaped, dark green, basal foliage. Small, blue, forget-me-not-like flowers with white centers bloom in airy, branched racemes rising well above the foliage on slender stems to 18" tall in spring. Basal leaves form a foliage mound which remains attractive throughout the growing season. Smaller upper leaves are elliptic.

Brunnera macrophylla is synonymous with and sometimes sold as Anchusa myosotidiflora.

Genus name honors Swiss botanist Samuel Brunner (1790-1844).

Specific epithet from Latin means large leaved.

Common name of bugloss comes from Greek meaning ox tongue in probable reference to the roughness and shape of the leaves.

‘Looking Glass’ is noted for its silvery, heart-shaped basal leaves (3-5” wide). It is a sport of Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ (PP13,859). ‘Looking Glass’ is distinguished from ‘Jack Frost’ by having more silvery leaves with much less green veining. Although its leaves emerge in spring with some green veining, they lose that veining as they mature. U.S. Plant Patent PP17,829 was issued on June 26, 2007.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Slugs and snails are occasional visitors.

Uses

Specimen, groups or mass as a ground cover. Borders, woodland gardens, naturalized areas or along streams or ponds. Containers.