PLANT of the week

Perennial forget-me-not

Traditional forget-me-nots are great for a quick burst of spring bedding, but their unusual and long-lived perennial cousin Brunnera macrophylla gives you far more plant-power for your money. Brunnera flowers look just like a regular forget-me-not, but are displayed in taller airier branching sprays held up just above the plant.

They first appear in April and continue until roughly mid-June.

The foliage is pretty good too. Plain green Brunnera macrophylla has attractive heart-shaped leaves, but there are several variegated forms which are stunning. ‘Variegata’ has cream leaves with a green spot in the centre of each, ‘Hadspen Cream’ has cream edges to its leaves, and ‘Jack Frost’ has silvery-mottled foliage. The variegated varieties don’t usually flower quite as much as the plain green, but any of them make brilliant ground cover for light to medium shade under trees or shrubs. Plant them in groups of three for immediate impact.