- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossom
- heyday
- fruit
- use
- Is Bergenia poisonous?
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- sowing
- cuttings
- divide
- Bergenia in a pot
- Pour bergenia
- Fertilize Bergenia properly
- Properly cut Bergenia
- How do I plant correctly?
- hardy
- pests
- Bergenia does not bloom
- sorts
Bergenia are wrongly called stepmothers. More and more hobby gardeners are discovering the advantages of this ornamental leaf perennial. It proves to be a real survivor and is particularly easy to care for. In order for the perennials to bloom in full glory, you should observe a few requirements.
The pretty perennial is particularly easy to care for and often evergreen
Table of Contents
Show all- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossom
- heyday
- fruit
- use
- Is Bergenia poisonous?
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- sowing
- cuttings
- divide
- Bergenia in a pot
- Pour bergenia
- Fertilize Bergenia properly
- Properly cut Bergenia
- How do I plant correctly?
- hardy
- pests
- Bergenia does not bloom
- sorts
- as a border for beds
- for attractive accents in stone and gravel gardens
- as underplanting of light trees
- loamy with sandy parts
- good water permeability
- pH value in the alkaline range
- choose a slightly larger container
- create drainage
- fill in nutrient-poor and well-drained substrate
- Use root balls and fill in gaps with soil
- press and water
- evening glow: Foliage green with reddish nuances. Corolla colored dark purple. Grows up to 40 centimeters high.
- Eroica: Leaves turn red in autumn and winter. Flowers purple-violet to purple-red, plentiful. Reaches growth heights of up to 40 centimetres.
- Oeschberg: Long-stalked foliage, upright growing, red in winter. Corolla light pink, center white. late flowering. Grows up to 50 centimeters high.
- Bressingham White: Foliage colored bright green. Flowers white with pink nuances, on dark stems. Up to 30 centimeters high.
origin
Bergenia belong to the genus Bergenia, which is also known as dextrose. The seven to twelve species are subordinate to the Saxifrage family and grow mainly in the middle and higher mountain regions of central and eastern Asia. Their range extends from China across the Himalayas to Afghanistan.
The commercially available varieties come from the Altai bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia). It originally comes from the mountains of the same name. The pure species is rarely offered. More commonly, the hybrids Bergenia ciliata × Bergenia crassifolia or Bergenia cordifolia × Bergenia crassifolia are available.
growth
The majority of all Bergenia grows as an evergreen plant. The Kashmir bergenia (Bergenia ciliata) is the only species with deciduous foliage. All bergenias are perennials and develop a thick rhizome that grows shallow below the ground. Over time, the root network spreads in the soil, causing the plants to form large stands. As the growth is very slow, the spread in the garden does not get out of hand. Bergenia reach growth heights of up to 50 centimeters.
leaves
Bergenia are attractive foliage perennials. The leaves are arranged in basal rosettes. They grow semi-erect and have short stalks. Your leaf blade is between ten and forty centimeters long and five to twenty centimeters wide, making it appear plump. The soft, leathery and somewhat fleshy leaves are covered with a layer of wax and shine in the sun. Your leaf margins are serrated to notched or smooth.
Most species and cultivars develop rich green foliage. Some varieties have reddish colored leaves. There are hybrids that convince with interesting autumn colors. The palette of autumnal colors ranges from red through bronze to violet. These colors remain in the evergreen perennials until spring.
blossom
The flowers are crowded together in dense inflorescences called thyrses. They appear in the form of coils and set attractive accents with the strikingly large individual flowers. The flowers follow a fivefold structure with fused sepals and free-standing petals. They appear bell-shaped and are hermaphrodite.
heyday
Most varieties flower between April and May. Some hybrids come to a second bloom in the fall. The petals are colored white, pink, red or purple.
fruit
After flowering, bergenias develop capsule fruits that dry up and burst open as the fruit ripens. They release numerous small seeds that are dark brown in color. The grains are spread with the wind.
use
Bergenia are planted as ground cover and ornamental foliage perennials. They form dense stands in the right location without becoming intrusive. In this design, the perennial harmonises with various types of sedge, cranesbill or star umbels and spurge species.
Uses of Bergenia:
Is Bergenia poisonous?
There is no evidence of toxic ingredients. There is no risk of poisoning for either humans or pets. The leaves of the thick-leaf bergenia (Bergenia crassifolia) are used in Mongolia to prepare a Siberian tea. The withered leaves are harvested in the spring after the snow has melted, since the naturally occurring fermentation is complete at this point.
Which location is suitable?
The elephant ears prove to be robust perennials that are unimpressed by heat and drought as well as shade and root pressure. Early flowering varieties are at risk from late frosts unless covered by a protective layer of snow. Place such plants in wind-protected places with direct sunlight.
Since bergenias grow in their natural habitat in semi-shady to shady forest locations, the plants are also placed in dark corners in the garden. The full bloom comes into its own in the sun. The Kashmir bergenia is the only deciduous species that prefers darker cultivars. Plant all other varieties at least in the light penumbra.
What soil does the plant need?
The leaf ornamental perennials find ideal conditions on moderately nutrient-rich and slightly fresh soil. The poorer the soil, the clearer the leaf coloration.
Ideal soil conditions:
sowing
Collect seeds from wilted inflorescences and store in a cool, dry place until next spring. The best time for sowing is between March and April. You can also sow the seeds in September.
Scatter the seeds on nutrient-poor potting soil and cover the grains lightly with substrate. Place the container in a warm place with a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius and keep the substrate evenly moist. Tiny cotyledons appear after about four weeks. You can then place the planter in a location with 15 degrees Celsius.
cuttings
In spring you can propagate bergenia via rhizome cuttings. Dig up the root ball and cut sections of the root bulb that have 2-3 eyes. You can place the root cuttings directly in the ground or in seed pots (€16.68) and place them in a light and warm location.
divide
After flowering in autumn, bergenias are divided with a spade. Lift the root system out of the ground with a digging fork and break off individual leaflets together with their rootstock. The partial rhizomes should be about ten centimeters long and have as many fine roots as possible.
The daughter plants are planted and pressed down in the new location, which has been thoroughly loosened beforehand. Water the substrate and mix in mature compost to help the plants grow. It takes about three weeks for the roots to settle into the substrate.
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Bergenia in a pot
Bergenia are suitable for container planting. Choose a pot that is an inch or two taller than the root ball. Clay pots with drainage holes are ideal so that no irrigation water accumulates. Cover the bottom of the pot with shards of pottery or gravel and fill the pot with a permeable substrate. You can mix commercially available potting soil with expanded clay (€19.73).
Pour bergenia
Bergenien prove to be drought tolerant. If there is no rain for a long time, you can occasionally use the watering can.
Fertilize Bergenia properly
In March, the perennials are supplied with compost, from which they benefit all year round. Another compost can be added in June.
Properly cut Bergenia
Regular pruning measures are not necessary. If the perennial is out of shape and has many dried shoots, you can radically cut back the plant in the fall. All parts of the plant are cut off just above the substrate.
How do I plant correctly?
If your Bergenia shows signs of tiredness and does not develop any new side shoots, a change of location can help. The perennials can easily be transplanted in autumn. With this measure, you can divide the rootstock in order to support the formation of the stock
repot
If the planter is too small or the nutrients in the substrate have been used up, we recommend repotting potted plants. The measure takes place in early-flowering varieties in autumn, when the flowers have withered. If the perennials develop their flowers in autumn, you should wait until next spring.
How to repot correctly:
hardy
Bergenia prove to be hardy. If late frosts appear in spring after fresh shoots, the perennials should be covered with brushwood or fir branches. Distribute the material between and on the leaves just before flowering. In winter, the frosty temperatures cause the foliage to turn intense red.
If you cultivate your Bergenia in a bucket, it can also stay outside in winter. Wrap the pot in fleece, as the substrate will quickly freeze and the roots will die. On frost-free days, the root ball should be watered to prevent the leaves from drying out.
pests
Infestation by vine weevils is rare. The voracious pests leave bay-shaped feeding marks along the edges of the leaves. Their larvae live in the soil and eat the fine roots, so that the perennials can no longer absorb enough water and nutrients. They are fought with nematodes that are administered with the irrigation water. The beetles are nocturnal and are collected at dusk or caught with special nematode traps.
Bergenia does not bloom
If you have freshly propagated your bergenia, the plants need some time to grow. They only flower from the second year, when their root system is firmly anchored in the ground. Too many nutrients stimulate the plant to grow so that no flowers are developed. Standing water weakens the plant because its roots die off and cannot maintain the nutrient cycle. Even in shady locations, flowering can be sparse or not at all.
tips
Filigree and finely structured grasses or ferns go well with this massive leaf perennial, in the spirit of the harp-and-timpani principle of the great perennial gardener Karl Foerster. Such plant arrangements create a harmonious overall picture.
sorts
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