Bergenia cordifolia 'Dark Damsel'

Bergenia is also known as Elephant's Ears - a charming name for a charming plant. Bergenia is a genus of ten different species of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae. These plants are native to a big stretch of central Asia, reaching from China, to the Himalayas, to Afghanistan.

 

Bergenia are rhizomatous, which means their above ground stem is derived from a below ground stem. They are evergreen, with rounded, leathery leaves. B. cordifolia is a strong, healthy perennial that is full of energy. It forms a clump of slightly wavey, rounded leaves up to 30cm long. The leaves are often tinged purple in winter. In spring, their straight red stems carry upright clusters of pink or white bell-shaped flowers. Mulching your Bergenia every year with compost or manure will encourage the leaves to grow as large as possible making this a real showstopper in your garden. Your Bergenia up will be most happy in moist but well-drained soil that is rich in the humus. These plants don’t like hot dry conditions so sun or partial shade would be best. The leaves could be eaten by snails, slugs, or caterpillars so watch out for those! When pruning your Bergenia you should remove any tatty and faded flower heads to keep them looking their best. Every few years you should thin out the clumps to keep your plant healthy.

 

If you have a canine friend, you may want to skip this one; Bergenia can upset dog’s tummies but are safe for babies.