Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby'

Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby': Ruby Leaves All Winter, Magenta Bells in Spring

Most plants quit in winter. 'Bressingham Ruby' just changes outfits. Glossy evergreen leaves go burgundy-red when the snow shows up, like it saved the good lipstick for the holiday party. FASHIONABLY FROSTBITTEN.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Bergenia hybrid (B. purpurascens x B. cordifolia)
• Common Name: Pigsqueak, Elephant's Ears
• Height: 30–35 cm (12–14 in) in flower
• Spread: 50–60 cm (20–24 in)
• Flowers: Rosy red-purple clusters on short, reddish stems
• Bloom Time: Spring (April to May)
• Foliage: Large, glossy, rounded evergreen leaves. Green in summer, turning deep brown and then burgundy-red in winter.
• Features: Evergreen

Where to Plant: Plant it along the front of a border, at the edge of a path or in a woodland bed, where the bold leaves can be seen up close. A row of it makes a tidy, weed-smothering groundcover. Put it where you can see the winter colour from a window.

Companion Plants: Edge a moist bed in sun or part shade with 'Bressingham Ruby' and its red winter leaves, with tall summer colour behind. Sanguisorba 'Little Angel' adds white-edged leaves and burgundy thimbles at 20 to 30 cm from June to September. Lychnis chalcedonica 'Scarlet' brings scarlet heads at 90 to 120 cm from June to August. Delphinium 'Pagan Purples' rises behind at 120 to 180 cm with purple spires from June to August. Deschampsia cespitosa adds fine blades and airy flower clouds at 60 to 90 cm.

Plant Care: Grow it in moist, well-drained soil with some organic matter. It handles clay well. In full sun it needs steady moisture and gives the best winter colour; in part shade it's more forgiving. Water through the first summer. Don't cut it back in fall, since the leaves are the winter show. In spring, snip off any leaves that are torn or browned by winter, and remove flower stems once they finish. Divide in spring or early fall when the clump gets crowded or bare in the middle. Watch for slugs in damp spots.

History: 'Bressingham Ruby' was raised by Alan and Adrian Bloom at Blooms of Bressingham in Norfolk, England, from an open-pollinated seedling of Bergenia purpurascens and B. cordifolia. Its nickname, pigsqueak, comes from the sound two leaves make when rubbed together.

Final Thoughts: Rosy flowers in spring feed the early bees, and the deer give it a pass. Plant it by the front walk. WINTER CURB APPEAL, SORTED.