Growing Bergenia: Tips at a Glance
Hardy bergenias create a low-water ground cover in sun or shade (think of them as an alternative to hostas). They will thrive in sun or shade and some varieties will reward you with deep purple-red leaves in winter.
- Type Flowering ground cover
- Lifespan Perennial
- USDA Zones 4-10
- Light Sun or shade
- Water Well-drained, dry soil
- When To Plant Early spring
- Companions Tulips, daffodils
- Design Tip Deep green leaves
- Peak Season Early spring flowers
Bergenias: A Field Guide
Bergenias are a useful perennial ground cover, with elephant’s ears leaves (the source of their horticultural nickname) that smother weeds and cover raggedy stems at the edge of a flower border.
There are dozens of cultivars of this low-maintenance, evergreen plant, and none of them are delicious to deer or rabbits. Some of our favorite varieties turn a deep, purplish red in cold weather including ‘Bressingham Ruby’, ‘Abendglocken’, and the miniature ‘Pink Dragonfly’. Flowers can be pink or white, and if you want the contrast of glossy green leaves against white flowers, we suggest Bergenia ‘Beethoven’ or B. ‘Silberlicht’. Tip: ‘Bressingham White’, although commonly stocked at nurseries and plant shops, is only semi-evergreen.
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