Leather bergenia

Leather bergenia: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Broad, low clump 30–40 cm tall and up to 60 cm wide, slowly spreading by rhizomes.

Leaves

Large, rounded to obovate, thick and leathery, glossy green, up to about 20 cm long; red to bronze in winter.

Flower

Small bell-shaped flowers in dense, slightly nodding clusters on thick, reddish stems, from March to May.

Colour

Pink to purplish pink; garden varieties also come in white, pale pink and crimson.

Rhizome

Thick, fleshy rhizomes that partly creep over the soil surface.

Flowering: March–May · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March and June

Why grow it?

• Flowers from as early as March, when little else is out: an early source of nectar and pollen for bees and bumblebees.
• Evergreen leaves that turn red to bronze in the cold: something to see all year round.
• Thrives even in dry shade under trees, where many plants give up.
• A dense ground cover that suppresses weeds.
• Tough and undemanding: it can stay in the same spot for years.

Leather bergenia: where does it grow best?

• Sun, part shade or shade: it grows almost anywhere. In sun the winter foliage colours best; in shade it stays greener.
• Sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky. Poor soil gives better winter colour than rich soil.
• Dry to normally moist, including dry shade under trees. It dislikes waterlogged soil.
• Plant 40–50 cm apart, or 4–5 plants per m² as ground cover.

Light

Sun, partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.4 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

• Epimedium: Another tough ground cover for dry shade, with finer leaves.
• Ferns: Fine, feathery fronds as a contrast to the large, round leaves.
• Lungwort: Flowers at the same time in blue and pink, also in shade.
• Daffodil: Yellow spring flowers beside the pink clusters in March–April.
• Rock cranesbill: Aromatic leaves and pink flowers in May–June, also in dry shade.

Leather bergenia: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or September–October.
2. Loosen the soil and mix in some compost, especially in dry shade under trees.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in its pot: the rhizome should sit at the surface, not be buried deep.
4. Leave 40–50 cm between plants; in groups of three or more they form a dense carpet more quickly.
5. Water well straight away, then regularly in dry spells during the first year.
6. A thin layer of leaf mould keeps the soil between young plants moist and weed-free.

Care

Water

In dry spells during the first year; after that rarely needed, even in dry shade.

Feeding

A thin layer of compost in March. More feed is not needed and reduces the winter colour.

Old leaves

In March, remove brown and damaged leaves so that the new flower clusters show well.

Deadheading

Cut faded flower stems off at the base.

Dividing

Every 4–5 years after flowering, when the clump becomes bare in the middle or too large.

Tip: Plant it where other plants give up, in dry shade under trees or along a path: its large evergreen leaves cover the ground all year. For the best red winter colour, choose a sunny spot with poor soil.

Leather bergenia: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and June.

When: Hardly any pruning is needed. In March, remove old, damaged leaves; in June, cut off the faded flower stems.

How:

• Cut or pull off brown and damaged leaves at the base; leave the healthy evergreen foliage.
• Cut faded flower stems as low as possible.
• Long, bare rhizomes can be shortened, or cut into pieces and replanted.

Caution: Do not cut back healthy foliage in autumn: the red, evergreen winter leaves are its great asset.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

After flowering, in May–June, or in September: lift a clump and split it into pieces, each with a section of rhizome, roots and a rosette of leaves. Replant at once and water.

Rhizome cuttings

After flowering, cut a bare rhizome into sections of 5–8 cm, each with at least one bud, and half bury them in a pot of moist, sandy compost. They shoot after a few weeks.

Leather bergenia: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −35 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −35 °C: no protection needed.
• The leaves stay all winter and turn red in the cold. In hard frost they hang limply, but recover in milder weather.
• Late frost can damage the early flower clusters; simply cut off frosted stems.
• In a pot it overwinters outdoors; stand the pot in a sheltered spot against a wall.

Diseases and pests

• Vine weevil: Half-moon notches in the leaf edges are the work of the adult beetles; the larvae eat the roots. Apply nematodes against the larvae in August–September and pick off the beetles in the evening.
• Slugs and snails: Eat holes in the leaves and flower buds, especially in spring. Pick them off in the evening and clear hiding places under old leaves.
• Leaf spot: Brown or dark spots on the leaves, often in wet spells. Cut off affected leaves and clear up fallen ones.
• Bare clump: After a few years the rhizomes become exposed and the centre of the clump goes bare. Divide it after flowering and replant the leafy pieces.

Through the year

• February: Red winter foliage. The first flower buds appear.
• March: Flowering starts. Remove brown, damaged leaves. Add compost. Plant.
• April: Full flower. Plant. Watch out for slugs.
• May: Last flowers. Divide after flowering.
• June: Cut off faded flower stems. Divide.
• August: Apply nematodes against vine weevil. Water during long dry spells.
• September: Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. The leaves start to colour red.
• December: Evergreen leaves, red to bronze in the cold.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The genus Bergenia is named after the 18th-century German physician and botanist Karl August von Bergen.
• Rub two leaves together and you hear a squeak, which is why it is also called pigsqueak in English.
• ‘Crassifolia’ means ‘thick-leaved’, from the Latin crassus (thick) and folium (leaf).