How to Grow and Care for Bergenia

Bergenia, also known as pigsqueak and leather bergenia, is an herbaceous perennial that thrives in mild climates and can tolerate shady conditions, preferring soil with high organic matter. These plants have big, glossy leaves as well as springtime flowers. Read on for our care guide.

Bergenia Care

Bergenia plants are vigorous without being invasive and will slowly spread to form a ground cover. Here are the main care requirements for bergenia:

• Choose a partially sunny spot, though bergenia can grow in shade
• Prepare soil with organic matter that can stay moist but is still well-draining
• Regular watering is not necessary since bergenia are drought-tolerant, but give them a drink if the soil has truly dried out
• Amend the soil with organic matter again at the beginning of each growing season
  

Light

Bergenia plants are ideal candidates for the shade garden. They thrive in partial shade but will also tolerate heavy shade. But, of course, the more sun plants receive, the more moisture they will need.

Soil

Like many plants, bergenia grows well in rich, loamy soil and will expand to grow large clumps in that environment. However, bergenia can also tolerate clay soil, which you can enrich over time with a top dressing of compost.

Water

Bergenia likes consistent moisture. To maintain a moist root zone, spread a three-inch layer of mulch around the plants. Plants growing in deep shade can survive periods of drought better than those growing in a location that receives more sun.

Temperature and Humidity

Bergenia plants grow well in areas with hot or cool summers if they have enough shade and moisture. They also do well in humid areas. Winter damage is more extensive in colder climates.

Fertilizer

Bergenia plants are light feeders and do not need supplemental fertilizer to look their best. Growing bergenia plants in loamy soil amended with organic matter provides all the nutrients they need.

Types of Bergenia

• 'Winter Glow': This features red stems and nodding pink flowers and grows to 12 to 16 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide.
• 'Bressingham White': A flower that can light up a garden with clusters of white blooms. It grows to the nearly same size as 'Winter Glow,' if a little bit shorter.
• 'Angel Kiss': This is one of the shorter cultivars, at eight to ten inches tall and 10 to 12 inches wide. Its blooms are white to light pink.
• 'Ballawley': Possibly the largest bergenia available, this one grows to 24 inches tall and 18 inches wide. It features rose-red flowers and red stems.
• 'Solar Flare': This variety is prized for its variegated leaves of green edged with yellow. This cultivar is mid-sized (10 to 16 inches tall and about 18 inches wide) and has magenta-purple blooms.
• 'Peppermint Patty': This is a hybrid variety featuring a pink throat with color radiating down each petal.
  

Bergenia vs. Leopard Plant

Except for its yellow flowers, the leopard plant (Ligularia dentata) bears a strong resemblance to bergenia plants. Both plants thrive in shade and feature similar large, rounded leaves with a glossy finish. However, to be healthy, leopard plants need more moisture and shade than bergenia plants, so if you have a place in the garden that transitions between sun and shade, place your leopard plants in the location with more shade.

Pruning

In general, bergenia plants need little in the way of pruning. You can cut back spent flower stalks to keep plants looking tidy in the summer. In areas where the foliage is marginally evergreen, trimming back tattered foliage will also increase plant tidiness.

Propagating Bergenia

Making new bergenia plants is as simple as the process of dividing them. Divide plants in the fall to prevent any disruption to the blooming cycle. Here's how:

1. Dig up the root ball, and tease apart a clump of foliage and roots with your fingers, as shown in the photo.
2. Create big divisions with at least five to seven leaves to make an impact in the garden.
3. Replant the divisions in a suitable location and water until moist.

How to Grow Bergenia From Seed

If you have patience and want to grow many bergenia plants for the landscape, you can start from seed.

1. Press seeds lightly into sterile potting soil, leaving them uncovered and with access to light.
2. Keep the soil moist and warm until germination.
3. Germination may take four to six weeks.

Potting and Repotting Bergenia

Bergenia makes an attractive container specimen. Bergenia plants will grow in any commercial potting soil in a pot with a diameter of at least 12 inches. Repot your plants in the spring after flowering, and divide as needed to keep plants from becoming overcrowded. Combine bergenia in containers with other pretty foliage choices, like coral bells and Japanese painted fern.

Overwintering

If you are growing bergenia in one of the colder regions of its hardiness zone, dress it with a layer of compost in early winter. Cover clumps of bergenia with straw or chopped leaves to protect them against freezing winter temperatures. This barrier protects the foliage and roots from the freezing and thawing cycle.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Like many plants that grow well in shady areas, bergenia plants can suffer from slug and snail damage to the foliage and are susceptible to black vine weevils. There are several ways to deal with these pests, including beer bait traps, cardboard traps, and diatomaceous earth.

Bergenia, while resistant to many plant diseases, can get fungal leaf spot and anthracnose, which is another type of looks similar to fungal leaf spot. If you notice any spots on the leaves of your plant, treat them as soon as you can. Remove any infected leaves on the plant and the surrounding ground, and treat with a fungicide. Proper watering techniques can help prevent these types of fungus.

Crown rot is another disease that can affect this plant, so be careful when planting or mulching, and leave the crown of the plant uncovered to avoid the problem.

How to Get Bergenia to Bloom

It is not difficult to get bergenia plants to bloom once they are mature and as long as their care requirements are met.

Bloom Months

Bergenia blooms in the spring, typically from March to May, showcasing small clusters of flowers that come in pink, white, or red. In warmer climates, they can bloom as early as December.

What Do Bergenia Flowers Look Like?

Bergenia blooms with bell-flowers that form clusters on stalks. Flowers can be white, pink, and purple.

How to Encourage More Blooms

To keep these plants blooming, plant them in a partial to full shade location in moist, rich soil, which will help stimulate its growth and produce more blooms.

Deadheading Bergenia Flowers

Quickly remove spent flowering stems from bergenia to keep the plant looking fresh. Once spent, flowers will not bloom again off the same stem but if you cut down the spent flower stalks, a new stalk might grow and produce more flowers.

Common Problems With Bergenia

Yellowing Leaves

Bergenia leaves can turn yellow due to overwatering. While these plants like to be kept moist, they don't like to be waterlogged. Check the roots and if they feel overly wet, dial back water until the plant recovers and the leaves turn green again.

Dropping Leaves

Bergenia leaves can drop due to extreme conditions. Bergenia plants cannot tolerate extreme heat or drought. Make sure you're giving adequate water and water extra during periods of excessive heat.

From: thespruce