Brunnera 'Jack Frost'

One of the most exciting Brunneras to come along in years, Jack Frost adds hard-to-find color and dramatic texture to the shade garden with bright silver leaves veined in deep green. These rounded leaves are perfectly formed, facing up and out for maximum show, and offer a brilliant backdrop to the small clusters of bright blue flowers that appear in earliest spring.

Jack Frost grows 12 to 15 inches tall (up to 18 inches when the slender bloomstalks sway above the foliage) and 18 inches wide in the partially shaded garden. It prefers acidic soil, but is generally not fussy about conditions, withstanding cold snaps admirably and tolerating soil of poor fertility. The clumps are very dense and plump in appearance, so if you are planting more than one together, space the plants 18 to 24 inches wide to give them space to show off their nicely rounded form.

Brunnera is a superb companion to mainstays of the shade garden such as Hostas, Ferns, Pulmonarias, and particularly Hellebores, which often bloom at the same time as Jack Frost. Try a combination planting of Jack Frost and the Royal Heritage Hellebores—the Brunnera's silvery leaves will highlight the unusual colors of the hellebore blooms, and the frosty foliage pairs nicely with the deep green, slightly toothed leaves of the hellebores. Or, for an entirely different look in the shade garden, consider a planting of Jack Frost and the phantom-white fern Athyrium 'Ghost'. The silver and white foliage will lighten the shade and offer superb contrast to the surrounding greens.

Difficult to locate, Jack Frost is easy to grow and a truly distinctive plant you will enjoy in a variety of settings. It asks only moist, well-drained soil.