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Bergenia (Elephant's Ears)

How to plant and care for Bergenia (Elephant's Ears)

Bergenia 'Bressingham White'

🌸 Flower 🔁 Perennial

Big, glossy, evergreen leaves that blush red in winter, with sprays of white flowers in early spring. Tough ground cover for sun or shade.

When to plant and care for it

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Flowers

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Growing Bergenia (Elephant's Ears): what it needs

Light
Part shade · 6+ hours a day
Watering
Water well until established, then in dry spells
Soil
Any soil
Spacing
45 cm
Height
40 cm
In pots
Grows well in containers
Feeding
No feeding needed
Hardiness
USDA zones 3–8

Step by step

  1. On planting day

    Plant

    Plant at the same depth as it was in its pot, 45 cm apart, and firm in.

  2. 0–1 days after “Plant”

    Water In Well

    Give a full can of water, then keep moist for the first few weeks while roots establish.

  3. 7–14 days after “Water In Well”

    Mulch Around the Base

    Spread 5 cm of compost or bark around the plant, keeping it off the stems.

Every year

  • March
    In Flower

    Spring flower spikes.

  • May
    Trim After Flowering

    Cut off flower stems and any tatty or brown leaves.

More flowers to grow

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Star JasmineFlower · perennial
Ageratum (Blue Mink)Flower

Photo: Christian Hummert (Ixitixel) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)