Does the amount of variegation in these vary with the amount of sun they get?

clintbrown said:Brunnera macrophylla ‘Sea Heart’ is a very good plant. I was a skeptic because I've never been able to grow 'Jack Frost' here. However, this plant's thick and rough leaves really do protect it from our heat more. It's a much improved version!

• Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla Garden Candy™ Sea Heart)
• Uploaded by clintbrown

Hi Clint, Where is "here"? Curious as to how they would do in Chicago. Thanks!

@RolRod

I live in west central Illinois, and it's doing great in my gardens! I've posted a picture of one of them (lost tag, so not sure of the variety) on this thread. I also have a niece in Rockford that is having better luck with Diana's Gold than I have!

I'm in Tennessee. This summer has been a nightmare!

It has been a tough summer the last few days have a heat index of over 110 . Both are holding up so far.

Jack Frost starting to fade, Sea Heart still looking great

Amazed that the variegata put out some new leaves!

Just read through this thread. Should have asked my questions here.

We currently have eight different Brunnera cultivars in our mixed perennial beds, most of them we've had for over three years (includes Brunnera Variegata (apparently = 'Dawson's White')).
I've never noticed reversions in any of our Brunnera until this year and this year, for the first time, I'm just noticing reversions back to the species in two of our three 'Dawson's White'.

Richard Hawke (the Plant Evaluation Manager at the Chicago Botanic Garden) has said that they've probably spent more time removing reversions from 'Dawson's White' than from any other cultivar.
Has anyone else seen reversions in their 'Dawson's White'/Variegata? If so how successful was your method for removing the reversions before they overwhelm the cultivar? Apparently, pinching out the reverted leaves is one approach and dividing the plant with teasing out reverted parts is another.

I've also read that stressed 'Dawson's White are more likely to show reversions than other Brunnera cultivars. In our case, I would have though our two reverters are in a better location than the one non-reverter. Although we've been watering the garden through this very dry summer, the non-reverter is in a location which dries out quickly. At the same time, is not showing much new growth.

The reason I've just noticed this is that our spring perennials are largely hidden by our taller perennials through the summer and I accelerate cutting things back at this time of year to get light through (also to stop powdery mildew spores from overwintering, etc.).

Picture this Sept 16.

Sorry I have never had that one. Hope someone can answer.

I have 'Variegata' and I do get a few reversions. It's in full shade but in a dry bed with lots of oaks. I had never made the connection between reversions and stress. Have had mine for years but it's never grown really big, probably due to the dry shade. Can't compare to others because they end up dying on me. I do run into reversions with Hosta 'June'.

Thanks, Bob, Cindy.

Cindy, do you, with you plant, need to take the reversions/reverted leaves out?

Our other current problem with Brunnera is with 'Alexander's Great'.
Planted one last year and it's seeding; as expected, not true to the cultivar.
Was apparently a sport (plant now patented) found in his garden in Belarus by a guy called Alexander.

Pictures below (today).
First a comparison between 'Alexander's Great' and 'Jack Frost' (latter planted a number of years ago).
We have no other seeding from our other Brunnera.
Stopped using Brunnera macrophylla because it's seeding around became a nuisance.





Below suggests a need to pull out at least seedlings close to the mother plant;
that since reversions in the direction of the wild type are normally more robust than the cultivar itself.
Am beginning to even think that 'Alexander's Great' itself is too robust for me!

Shadegardener said:I have 'Variegata' and I do get a few reversions. It's in full shade but in a dry bed with lots of oaks. I had never made the connection between reversions and stress. Have had mine for years but it's never grown really big, probably due to the dry shade. Can't compare to others because they end up dying on me. I do run into reversions with Hosta 'June'.

Have had the "Variegata" for 7 plus years, full shade until the apple scab hits, than depending on the severity of the apple scab have anywhere from part shade to full sun, some supplemental watering...no reversions up to this point. All these years and it still is fairly small.




The "Jack Frost" is really starting to looked ragged, "Sea Heart" is still doing well.

Thanks, RJ.

Very interesting to see all these pictures. It's extremely interesting to see seasonal changes (e.g. as old leaves break down and new ones come in).
For instance, the old leaves on Variegata/Dawson's White do seem to die off very markedly around the pale edges, perhaps irrespective of the growing conditions.

It's also nice to hear that Variegata/Dawson's White doesn't seem to invariably end up with reversions. The bit about stress causing reversions is just something which I read in one source. Perhaps that claim is incorrect. As noted, it was my (apparently) less stressed two plants that have reversions this year, not my (apparently) more stressed one. Perhaps it's the opposite; the more stimulated the growth, the more the likelihood of the revisions.

Was also an interesting question asked previously about any light/shade effect on Brunnera leaves, including their patterning. Apart from necrotic/dead bits in older leaves, I've never noticed/paid attention to other possible changes like fading. Will have to look closer.

For us, I do feel it's worth focusing on perennials like Brunnera. There aren't many workhorses of our mixed perennial beds in spring. For us, besides bulbs, it's lungworts (Pulmonaria), primulas, Brunnera and the hellebores I've been adding that are the stars of our beds in spring.

I do pull out the reverted leaves on 'Variegata' as I don't want them hijacking the original plant. I have tons of the species Brunnera and it's a thug. Hard to control, self seeds like crazy and hard to pull out established plants.

Thanks.

Had those problems with the species too, Cindy.
Didn't have the species planted over large areas so was able to eliminate it.

It's unfortunate that expensive plants are typically much better behaved than cheap (or free) ones.

Charlie - I let some of the species Brunnera grow in a wilder part of the garden where the soil is crummy and pretty dry. Every once in a while I dig some of the plants out to minimize their "territorial" tendencies.

Sounds like you have a bigger garden than us, Cindy.
Suspect a bigger area to garden can give more options.

Divided the first of those two reverting Brunnera today.
Very easy; the eight unverted plantlets(?) just fell apart.
The two reverted ones were much bigger and still connected.
Planted two groups of unreverted.
Hoping they'll be around next spring.

I feel sure, with that plant, that simply cutting off the green leaves would not have solved the problem.
The associated root development was much stronger than that of the rest of the original plant.

Charlie - thanks for that info on the root systems. I've always hesitated messing with my one 'Variegata' based on my sad experiences with 'Jack Frost' but it seems like it would be a benefit to dig it up and get rid of the reverted material.

Hope it works for you, Cindy.
I think a lot of gardening is trial-and-error.

I have a Brunerra here and I think it is Jack Frost, It struggled for years in the shade of a euonymous shrub. Never got bigger but never died either. Then I cut back the Eonymous shrub 2 years ago and it doubled in size. But it dries back in late Summer here.

If I divide it (and I hesitate to do so because it is old and I only have the one), where would the new division be happiest? I can keep it in a pot for whatever season is best for developing its roots (I do that routinely for cuttings and such.

I ask because I've read conflicting advice and I figure actual growers know. This is a plant I cherish (from years of enjoying) but don't really know much about.