Plant Profile: Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great'

Names

Great Forget-Me-Not, Siberian Bugloss

  • Photo of Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' (Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great's)

Phonetic Spelling:BER-run-er-uh mak-roh-FYE-lah

Genus:Brunnera

Species:macrophylla

Family:Boraginaceae

Siberian bugloss is a perennial herb that grows in clumps and spreads through creeping rhizomes, making it an ideal ground cover for shaded areas. This plant features heart-shaped, dark green leaves and produces small, light blue flowers reminiscent of forget-me-nots, each with a yellow center. In spring, the flowers bloom on stems that reach up to 18 inches tall, rising above the lush foliage and creating a dense thicket that supports the flower stalks. The attractive, variegated leaves maintain their appeal throughout the growing season.

This plant thrives in average, medium-moisture, well-drained soil and prefers partial shade, ideally in consistently moist, nutrient-rich conditions. While it does not fare well in dry soils, it can tolerate some dryness. Siberian bugloss prefers cooler summers, as its foliage may suffer from scorching in the intense heat and humidity typical of USDA Zones 7-9. Although the plant can self-seed, the seedlings of this variegated variety may lose their distinctive coloration.

**Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems:**

Currently, there are no known diseases or significant issues affecting this plant.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' Feature Summary

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' Image Gallery

Tags

#showy flowers
#blue
#blue flowers
#showy leaves
#variegated leaves
#low maintenance
#rabbit resistant
#mass planting
#pond margins
#herbaceous perennial
#groundcover
#borders
#partial shade tolerant
#woodlands
#container plants

Similar Plants

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' Feature Summary

Flowers
Small flowers bloom blue petals in spring (April to May). While the petals are blue, the center of the flowers is yellow. Blooms rise above the foliage on 18 inch stems.
Leaves
Heart-shaped, dark green, basal foliage. Basal leaves form a mound which remains attractive throughout the growing season.
Green
Variegated
Elliptical
Whole Plant Traits
Herbaceous Perennial
Ground Cover
Clumping
Cultural Conditions
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
3a
3b
High Organic Matter
Landscape
Border
Mass Planting
Small groups
Specimen
Insect Pests
Rabbits
Diseases
Container
Woodland
Naturalized Area
Pond

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' Attributes

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Country Or Region Of Origin

Eastern Mediteranean, Turkey to Caucasus

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

rabbit

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' Flowers

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Flower Description

Small flowers bloom blue petals in spring (April to May). While the petals are blue, the center of the flowers is yellow. Blooms rise above the foliage on 18 inch stems.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Flower Color

filter_vintage
Blue

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' Leaves

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Leaf Description

Heart-shaped, dark green, basal foliage. Basal leaves form a mound which remains attractive throughout the growing season.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Leaf Color

spa
Green
spa
Variegated

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Hairs Present

No
Yes

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' Stem

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Stem Description

slender

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' Whole Plant Traits

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' Cultural Conditions

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
3a
thermostat
3b
thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' Landscape

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great': Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland