Images Depict Mature Plants
Silver Heart Brunnera
Brunnera macrophylla 'Silver Heart' PP#24,685
Silver Heart Brunnera is a great choice when you need a shade plant that actually brightens the bed instead of just filling space. The cobalt-blue flowers are a nice spring bonus, but the real selling point is the bold silver foliage that keeps working after bloom. Give it cool shade, good soil, and steady moisture, and it becomes a reliable front-of-border plant for woodland gardens and shaded walkways.
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Bold Silver Foliage and Blue Spring Flowers for Shade
Silver Heart Brunnera Brightens Shade with Bold Silver Leaves
Silver Heart Brunnera is a beautiful shade perennial grown for its large, heart-shaped silver leaves with contrasting green veins and margins. The foliage has a bright, reflective quality that helps lighten shaded beds, woodland gardens, north-facing borders, and dark corners where green foliage alone can disappear.
Also searched as Brunnera Silver Heart, this cultivar is especially useful for homeowners who want dependable foliage color in shade. Its bold silver leaves create a clean, luminous look from spring through the growing season, making it a strong alternative or companion to hostas, ferns, heuchera, pulmonaria, and other shade plants.
Cobalt-Blue Spring Flowers Add a Forget-Me-Not Look
In spring, Silver Heart Brunnera produces sprays of cobalt-blue, forget-me-not-like flowers that float above the foliage. The blue blooms create a soft woodland effect and contrast beautifully with the silver leaves below.
After flowering, the foliage becomes the main show. That is one of the biggest strengths of Silver Heart Brunnera: the flowers add seasonal charm, but the silver heart-shaped leaves continue carrying the planting long after spring bloom has finished.
A Durable Silver Brunnera for Woodland Gardens and Shaded Borders
Silver Heart Brunnera is often valued for foliage that is thicker and more substantial than some older silver-laced brunnera varieties. That improved leaf texture helps the plant hold up better throughout the season when planted in the right site: cool shade, steady moisture, and protection from harsh afternoon sun.
Use it along shaded walkways, under open-canopy trees, at the front of woodland borders, around shaded patios, or in containers where the silver foliage can be appreciated up close. It also works well as a slow-spreading groundcover for shaded beds, gradually filling in without becoming aggressive.
Best in Part Shade to Full Shade with Consistent Moisture
Silver Heart Brunnera performs best in part shade to full shade with rich, moist, well-drained soil. Morning sun is usually acceptable in cooler climates, but hot afternoon sun can scorch the foliage, especially when the soil dries out.
This is not a dry-shade perennial. Keep the root zone evenly moist, especially during the first growing season and during summer heat. It can be used near shaded streambeds, pond edges, and moist woodland areas, but the soil should still drain well rather than stay stagnant or waterlogged.
Deer Resistant Foliage with Honest Heat and Moisture Expectations
Silver Heart Brunnera is generally considered deer-resistant and rabbit-resistant, largely because of its rough, hairy foliage. That makes it a useful choice in shaded landscapes where hostas and other tender shade plants are often browsed.
The main success tip is site selection. Silver Heart Brunnera wants cool shade, organic soil, and reliable moisture. In hot, humid climates or dry shade, the foliage may tire, scorch, or decline by late summer. Remove damaged leaves as needed, water deeply during dry spells, and let fresh growth fill back in.
| Hardiness Zone: | 3-8 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height: | 12 to 18 Inches |
| Mature Width: | 18 to 24 Inches |
| Sunlight: | Part shade to full shade; protect from hot afternoon sun |
| Soil | Rich, moist, well-drained soil with organic matter |
| Water Requirements: | Consistent moisture preferred; avoid dry soil and stagnant waterlogged soil |
| Bloom Time / Color | Spring; cobalt-blue to bright blue forget-me-not-like flowers |
| Ornamental Features | Bright silver foliage, heart-shaped leaves, blue spring flowers, shade-brightening texture |
| Wildlife Value | Spring flowers may support early pollinators; foliage provides seasonal cover in shade beds |
| Resistance | Generally considered deer resistant and rabbit resistant |
| Landscape Uses | Shade gardens, woodland gardens, border edges, shaded walkways, containers, groundcover, understory planting, moist shade beds |
How to Care for Silver Heart Brunnera
Be sure to read our planting instructions to ensure a healthy and happy Silver Heart Brunnera plant for years to come!
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How should I plant Silver Heart Brunnera?
Plant Silver Heart Brunnera in part shade to full shade with rich, moist, well-drained soil. Dig a hole about twice as wide as the root ball and no deeper than the container. Set the crown level with the surrounding soil, backfill with loosened native soil amended with compost if needed, and water thoroughly. For a groundcover or border effect, space plants about 18 to 24 inches apart. Use closer spacing for a fuller look along shaded walkways or bed edges. Apply a light mulch layer to help keep the root zone cool and evenly moist, but keep mulch pulled back from the crown.
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How often should I water Silver Heart Brunnera after planting?
Water Silver Heart Brunnera deeply after planting, then keep the soil consistently moist while the roots establish. During the first growing season, check the soil regularly and water when the top inch or two begins to dry. Once established, Silver Heart Brunnera still performs best with steady moisture. It is not a drought-tolerant shade plant. During summer heat or dry spells, deep watering is important to help protect the silver foliage from scorch and stress.
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When should I fertilize Silver Heart Brunnera?
Fertilize Silver Heart Brunnera lightly in early spring as new growth begins. A thin topdressing of compost, leaf mold, or a gentle slow-release fertilizer is usually enough to support healthy foliage and spring flowering. Avoid heavy fertilizer applications. This plant performs best when the soil is rich and evenly moist, not when it is pushed with excess nitrogen. Good soil preparation and consistent watering are more important than frequent feeding.
When and how should I prune Silver Heart Brunnera?
Remove spent flower stems after bloom if you want a cleaner look and want the foliage to take center stage. Trim away damaged, scorched, or tired leaves as needed through the growing season. In late fall or late winter, remove collapsed foliage before new growth emerges. Do not mow Silver Heart Brunnera like a turf groundcover. It is a clump-forming perennial that should be maintained with selective hand trimming.
