Description of the bruner plant, recommendations for planting and care at their summer cottage, methods of reproduction, combating diseases and pests during cultivation, species and varieties. Brunner (Brunnera) belongs to the genus of herbaceous flora that are included in the Boraginaceae family. In nature, these plants are found in the Caucasus, Asia Minor, and are also not uncommon in the western and eastern regions of Siberia. There are only three varieties in the family by scientists, two of which grow on the territory of Russia.
| Family name | Borage |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (division of the rhizome) |
| Landing period in open ground | Delenki are planted from July to the end of August. |
| Disembarkation scheme | Deepening by 2-5 cm |
| Substrate | Wet loamy |
| Illumination | Bright illumination shaded from direct sunlight |
| Moisture indicators | Moderate watering |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.45–0.5 m |
| Color of flowers | Bright bluish blue |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Panicle or corymbose |
| Flowering time | April-May or autumn |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Place of application | Group plantings, curbs, rocky slides and mixborders, rockeries, rock gardens |
| USDA zone | 4–9 |
Brunner is named after Samuel Brunner (1790–1844), a botanist and traveler from Switzerland, who in 1831 undertook an expedition across the Crimean lands. Because of the places of natural growth, this plant is often called "Caucasian forget-me-not" (Kaukasus - Vergipmeinnicht), or since the flowers resemble forget-me-not, people can hear another name - forget-me-not.
A herb like brunner has an elongated and thick rhizome, which allows it to receive nutrients and moisture. The height of the shoots rarely exceeds 45–50 cm. The type of forget-me-not is bushy, while the entire surface of the branches is characterized by pubescence. The size of the leaf plates growing in the root zone is large, they have long petioles. The shape of these leaves is broad-hearted. The color of the foliage can be as rich dark green or there are varieties with a grayish-silver tint, on which a pattern of green veins appears decoratively.
During flowering, the buds are collected in a loose inflorescence, which may have the form of a panicle or shield. The color of the flowers is a bright bluish-blue hue. The diameter at full opening varies in the range of 5–10 mm. The corolla of the flower resembles a forget-me-not, differs in brachymorphic outlines, the lobes in it are short with a blunt apex, in the pharynx there are five arches, which are characterized by a short-ovoid shape and a velvety surface. The calyx has a 3/4 incision, while linear lobules are formed with a sharpness at the ends. The pistil column and corolla stamens are not visible. The flowering process occurs in April and stretches until May, but occasionally the brunner can bloom again in autumn. It is distinguished from forget-me-not by a spot, in the center of the flower of a whitish, not yellow color scheme. Flowers have no smell.
After pollination of the flowers, fruits ripen, which have the shape of a nut. Inside, very small seeds are formed, with the help of which the forget-me-not-flower reproduces.
Brunner: planting and caring for a flower in the open field
- Landing place. For the Caucasian forget-me-not, a flower bed with bright, but diffused lighting is selected. It is important to remember that variegated forms require more light than plants with uniform green leaves.
- Landing. Brunner seedlings or cuttings are best planted at the end of summer, since in spring young plants are very susceptible to diseases. But if the planting is in spring, then they try not to destroy the earthen lump. Usually the hole is dug only 2–5 cm deep. The forget-plant plant is placed and covered with soil, but so that the root collar is not covered with earth, then it is thoroughly watered. The soil should be moist, loamy and heavy. Landing is carried out on a cloudy day in the evening.
- Watering. Such a herb as brunner is resistant and usually has enough of the natural precipitation that falls in the spring and summer. However, if the summer turned out to be autumn dry, then the plant must be maintained with regular moisture. Watering is carried out as soon as the leaf plates begin to droop.
- Fertilizer brunners. With the arrival of spring, Caucasian forget-me-not can be fed with granular complex fertilizer (for example, Yara International ASA preparations), which is scattered right over the unmelted snow. This not only accelerates the growing process, but also contributes to the rich color of the foliage.
- General advice on care. When Brunner's flowers wither, it is recommended to cut them off so that only leaves remain on the bush. Then their decorativeness will persist until the very cold. When leaving, it should be remembered, since the root system is shallow, it is not recommended to loosen the soil or this operation is carried out with special care. It is important to weed regularly to remove weeds.
- Brunner wintering. When the cold season comes, the foliage of the Caucasian forget-me-not must be cut off, since it itself does not fall off. After all the leaf plates are removed, you can prepare the bushes for wintering. Although, in principle, the plant can endure the winter on its own, without outside help, it is better to protect it from freezing in case of a long and harsh winter. To do this, the entire soil under the forget-me-not is mulched with sawdust, peat, fallen dry leaves or humus. Top can be covered with spunbond.
- Use in landscape design. Brunner's herbaceous plant, due to its foliage color, can perfectly serve as an adornment for an alpine slide or rockery. If you want to plant greenery in a multi-storey flower bed, then the Caucasian forget-me-not is also suitable for the lower tier. When planted in mixborders, bushes with heart-shaped foliage will set off other perennials with a higher height. Brunner has a good combination with fern plants, wild garlic, and it also looks good with juniper and horn goat weed. If there is a natural or artificial reservoir on the site, then by planting Caucasian forget-me-not on its banks, you can give them airy green outlines.
Brunner plant propagation tips
This herbaceous plant can be propagated both by sowing seeds and vegetatively, dividing the overgrown rhizome.
If you use the last method of reproduction of Brunner, then it is worth noting that it is in this way that you can get a new plant with a variegated color of foliage, and the species Caucasian forget-me-not is grown by means of seeds, however, due to the fact that early frosts occur, then the seeds in such forms are tied, practically do not have time. The seed can be purchased from your specialist shop.
Sowing must be done carefully, since the seeds of the Brunner are very small. It is recommended to place them in open ground before winter, that is, in autumn, so that they undergo natural stratification. If the decision is made to sow seeds in the spring, then they need pre-sowing preparation. This process consists of placing the seed in cold conditions for 3-4 months. That is, the seeds of the Caucasian forget-me-not can be wrapped in a paper bag and put on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, where the heat indicators will be in the range of 0-5 degrees. Or they are sown in a peat-sandy substrate, laid in a seedling box, then the container is buried in the garden so that it is covered with snow. This is usually done in late November or early winter.
It is clear that it is easier to grow a new Brunner by dividing an overgrown bush. They do this when the plant re-blooms - around August days. It was during this period that the future shoots of the Caucasian forget-me-not will finish laying. The bush is dug up and its root system is freed from the soil. You can simply immerse the plant in a bowl of water and hold it there for a while. Usually, you can easily split the bush after that, sticking to how the rhizome naturally falls apart. If you need to cut it, then you should use a well-sharpened knife. Each division obtained should have a sufficient number of roots and renewal buds of the next year. The parts are planted in prepared holes and watered well.
You can also carry out the reproduction of the forget-me-not by pieces of rhizome, since it is located close to the soil surface. Such a rhizome is dug up and then all the old parts that have already rotted are cut out. After that, the rhizome can be broken so that each part has a living bud of renewal. Each delenka is planted separately, while it is buried in the ground by 2-3 cm, sprinkled with a substrate and watered.
Disease and pest control Brunners when grown in the garden
Although this brunner herb is not difficult to care for, problems still occur during cultivation. One of them becomes too humid and cold summer. At the same time, in damp weather, with a decrease in heat on the Caucasian forget-me-not, brown spotting develops, when the leaf plates are covered with specks of a brown hue. Powdery mildew is also a nuisance. In this case, foliage and shoots can be covered with a whitish coating, reminiscent of dried lime mortar.
To combat these diseases, it is recommended to remove all affected parts, and then treat with a fungicidal preparation, which can be, for example, Bordeaux liquid. For preventive purposes, after 14 days, the bushes are sprayed with Fitosporin.
Of the pests that harm the Caucasian forget-me-not, aphids and whitefly, which mine the moth, are isolated. Their appearance is symbolized by green bugs, small whitish midges or motley butterflies and their larvae. In order to destroy harmful insects, insecticidal treatment is used, like Karbaphos or Actellik. Green soap is often used for aphids.
If the foliage of the Brunner began to dry out, then you should pay attention to the wrong place. Most likely, the plant is in too bright sun. It is recommended to transplant to a flower bed with a lot of shading.
Types and varieties of brunner
Brunner large-leaved (Brunnera macrophylla). The natural habitat of growth falls on the territory of the Caucasus Mountains, therefore, the people often call the plant "Caucasian forget-me-not". Usually it has bushy outlines, from the thickest rhizome, strongly branched shoots originate, on which leaf plates unfold. The surface of the shoots is characterized by rough pubescence. The height of the bush does not exceed 30–40 cm. The leaf plates growing in the root zone have an oblong-heart-shaped shape, but there is a sharpening on the upper part. On the front side, the leaf is painted with a dark green color, on the back there is a grayish tint. All due to the fact that in this zone the plate is also roughly pubescent.
When blooming, very small flowers open, whose diameter reaches 0.7 cm. The color of the petals is dark blue, inside there is a decoration in the form of a white speck. From such flowers, loose paniculate-corymbose inflorescences are connected, which crown the tops of the shoots. The buds of this species bloom at the end of April, and flowering at the same time stretches for a period of about a month. If the autumn days are warm, then re-flowering may occur. In culture, the variety has been since the 19th century.
The most popular varieties with silvery foliage are:
- Jack Frost. The leaves of this plant are distinguished by a silvery color scheme, on their surface there is a pattern of dark green veins, and there is also a narrow green border. It is because of the feeling that the leaves are covered with frost that the variety got its name, part of which is translated as "frost". The bush takes on rather large sizes in height - up to 60 cm. The flowering process takes the period from May to June, has the properties of increased frost resistance.
- Hadspen Cream. This shrub can reach a height of 45 cm with a diameter of almost half a meter. The length of the leaf plate is close to 15 cm. The leaf has a wide heart-shaped shape and relief. The color of the foliage is light greenish, on the border of each leaf you can see a narrow, uneven strip of creamy-whitish color.
- Looking Glass. Reminiscent of the Jack Frost variety, has a translation of "mirror". The height of the bush reaches 20–35 cm, with a diameter of about 30 cm. The leaves are painted mainly in a silvery tone, which makes them seem to be made of steel, the veins of green are quite small. The diameter of the pale blue flowers is 5–7 mm.
- Langtrees. On the entire peripheral part of the leaf plates, which have a dark green color, there are small specks of a silver color. The flowers open up with blue petals.
- Millennium Silber. On large leaf plates of an emerald hue, there is a pattern of a scattering of small and large silvery-whitish spots, so the variety is most recognizable because of this among others.
- King's Ransom. It is a shrub plant, the height of which can vary within 40–55 cm. The leaves are large in size, light silver in color with beautifully carved dark green veins, along the edge there is a wide cream edging. From late April to mid-June, a large number of flowers bloom, and if the autumn is warm, then the flowering process will resume.
- Silver Hut (Silver Heart) or "silver heart". This varietal variety got its name because of the shape and color of its foliage. There is a thin greenish rim and the same pattern of veins on the silver-colored leaf plate. Leaves beautifully frame the flowering stems stretching upwards. The height of the bush reaches about 40 cm with a diameter of up to 50 cm.
Brunner Siberian (Brunnera sibirica). It is clear from the name that natural habitats are in the forests of Altai and Sayan. This type is distinguished by its large size and decorativeness from the previous one. If you measure the thickness of the elongated rhizome, it will be approximately 0.1 m. Single shoots with a surface covered with glandular pubescence. Their height is measured 60 cm. Bushes, growing, can form dense thickets. The leaves in the root zone are quite dense. The shape of the leaves is heart-shaped, they are attached to elongated petioles. The foliage surface is wrinkled. The leaves that unfold on the stems are practically sessile, their outlines are lanceolate. When flowering, small buds bloom. In full disclosure, the diameter of the flower will be 5 mm. The color of the petals is dark blue, with a whitish center. Complex and loose panicle inflorescences are collected from the buds. The flowering process occurs in May and can take up to 20 days.
Brunner eastern (Brunnera orientalis). Native lands are in the Middle East. It has no particular decorative effect, therefore it is practically not used in culture.
Brunner video:
