The Best Variegated Brunnera
A distinctively different and low-maintenance groundcover for part to full shade.
Plant Patent Applied For. The elegant beauty of Brunnera, with its large, heart-shaped leaves and airy sprays of tiny blooms, is hard to overstate. It adds quiet color to the shade border, fills in bare spots beautifully among Hostas, Pulmonarias, and Ferns, and may be used to magnificent effect as a groundcover in mass planting. 'Mr. Morse' is a fine addition to the family, adding sivlery-white marbling to the beauty of the foliage. These leaves reach up to 6 inches long, with their distinctive heart-shaped form and good horizontal hold, creating layers of color in the shade. Each leaf is patterned in a marbled swirl of green and white, so that no two are just alike. In late spring and summer, they are topped by white blooms, held in clusters an inch or two across and very abundant. But even without its blooms, 'Mr. Morse' is a lovely presence. This Brunnera reaches 12 to 15 inches high and wide, making it a good candidate for large containers as well as the border and bed. In woodland settings, a large planting is extraordinary! Give this plant plenty of moisture, and mulch it well to retain the moisture. It appreciates a heavy winter mulch especially, and needs protection from full sun. Beyond this, it is very carefree, thriving even in full shade. Introduced by Chris Ghyselen of Belgium, 'Mr. Morse' is certain to become a mainstay of the shade border. Zones 3-8.
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