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Home » Gardening » The Perfect Plant for a Shady Garden, Jack Frost Brunnera

The Perfect Plant for a Shady Garden, Jack Frost Brunnera

Updated : June 23, 2020

46 Comments

Jack Frost Brunnera. This plant loves it in the shade!

Loves shade, does not tolerate sun well at all.

Grows to a height of about 12 to 15 inches tall.

My Secret Potting Soil Recipe
The perfect shade perennial, Jack Frost Brunnera.

Flowers are striking blue clusters.

Hardy in zones 3 through 8.

Water once or twice a week in the heat of the summer.

If planting in a group place them 12″ to 14″ apart.

New: Video Reveals a Simple Way to Root Plants from Cuttings (Watch Now!)

Clusters of blue flowers on Jack Frost Brunnera.

There are few plants that will enhance a shade garden like this beauty.

By any and all means, stay inspired!

Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond.

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Comments

  1. Ruth Longfield says

    September 26, 2020 at 5:42 pm

    Mike, thank you for all your help and advice with my gardens. I may have missed it but do you ever propagate the Jack Frost Brunnera ? Can I start some from cuttings? I will try and find one and see if that will work for this plant.

    Reply
    • Mike says

      September 27, 2020 at 7:57 am

      Ruth,

      Jack Frost Brunner is a patented plant and therefore cannot be legally propagated.

      Reply
  2. Bonnie crim says

    September 12, 2020 at 11:18 am

    Mike, you’ve done a beautiful and outstanding job on your landscaping. If I can give you a suggestion, as a interior designer, I would appreciate it. It would really make your house and landscaping come to life and update it if you would paint your brick. The brick on you house is outdated and that’s sad, because the landscaping is so beautiful. Not a sermon, just a suggestion. Thanks, bonnie crim

    Reply
  3. Neal Klabunde says

    July 29, 2020 at 7:13 am

    Mike-

    You forgot to mention that these plants are very deer resistant. These plants are also hot sellers.

    Due to the uncertainty of being able to sell at our Farmer’s Market, we didn’t order in any plants this spring and only had 10 or so of them leftover from last year. and they sold quickly.

    They can also be used to interplant with hostas to keep the deer away, it’s not a bulletproof solution, but it can help.

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 29, 2020 at 8:06 am

      Great info, thank you Neal! That’s for doing the virtual nursery tour for us too.

      Reply
  4. Tree Trimming says

    July 9, 2020 at 10:13 pm

    I find the little blue flowers beautiful! Thanks for the help!

    Reply
  5. Gloria Campbell says

    July 2, 2020 at 12:11 am

    How beautiful! I live in the boonies. It’s 112 miles to nearest town so how/can I get it mailed to me?

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 2, 2020 at 7:13 am

      Gloria,

      You’ll have to shop for it online.

      Reply
  6. Barb says

    July 1, 2020 at 12:20 pm

    What is the bloom time for this lovely plant?

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 2, 2020 at 7:20 am

      Barb,

      Mine started blooming in early June.

      Reply
  7. ronna blumenfeld says

    July 1, 2020 at 11:02 am

    Mike, so grateful for all the gardeniing knowledge you generously share, I’ve learned much from you over the years and want to send out my heartfelt thanks.
    You and your site are true delights!

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 2, 2020 at 7:21 am

      Thank you Ronna!

      Reply
  8. DD says

    July 1, 2020 at 5:11 am

    If it doesn’t like sun, wouldn’t it make a good houseplant?

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 1, 2020 at 7:21 am

      Probably not, needs a dormancy period.

      Reply
  9. Myrna Pitts says

    July 1, 2020 at 3:13 am

    What the heck, when I was a kid in the 50’s and 60’s we called that blue flower plant “forget me not” and it didn’t come with the white stripe leaf plant. What are we looking at with two obviously different plants?

    Reply
    • Josephine says

      July 1, 2020 at 11:23 am

      I googled the plant online. There seems to be different varieties available. It is called false forget me not so your confusion is justified.

      Reply
    • Vudutu says

      July 1, 2020 at 5:09 pm

      Different plant, often confused.

      Reply
  10. Patty-anne Lea says

    July 1, 2020 at 12:54 am

    what plants are poisonous to animals when used outside.

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 1, 2020 at 7:22 am

      Patty, I honestly don’t know.

      Reply
  11. Darlene Precit says

    June 30, 2020 at 11:39 pm

    Does Jack Frost Brunnera spread, is it aggressive?

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 1, 2020 at 7:22 am

      Not that I am aware of.

      Reply
      • Vudutu says

        July 1, 2020 at 5:07 pm

        I have a saying
        “It’s a fine line between a well spreading perennial and a invasive plant.”
        This one and the regular Brunnera fall on the well spreading side, great in knees of trees, easy to move.

        Reply
      • Arlene Hughes says

        July 1, 2020 at 7:35 pm

        I had 2 for about 4 years and one died over this winter. The surviving plant is doing fine. My plant does not send out roots nor have runners to make more, I wish it did. I will look for more.at the plant dept. in stores.

        Reply
  12. Colleen says

    June 30, 2020 at 11:10 pm

    Would this beautiful plant grow where we live…Evergreen Colorado at 7500 ft. elevation? Our winter temps are rarely below -10 degrees. Another factor is our wildlife…deer and elk, who love to eat many plants.

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 1, 2020 at 7:23 am

      Colleen,

      It should be fine in your zone.

      Reply
  13. Mary McKalson says

    June 30, 2020 at 10:57 pm

    Since the Paradise Fire of 2018, we have been ‘traveling’. Gardening has come to a virtual standstill. I am now settled for a few months in central OR, & have good internet. Am so pleased to see I am still on Mike’s list- this plant will be perfect here! TY

    Reply
  14. Jean Nagorski says

    June 30, 2020 at 9:04 pm

    Mike

    Please let your gardeners know that chipmunks and squirrels love the roots and leaves. Advise a control.

    Reply
    • Vudutu says

      July 1, 2020 at 5:08 pm

      I have not found this to be the case.

      Reply
    • Linda Kruhmin says

      May 18, 2022 at 8:14 pm

      Yes they do love/eat these plants! Planted 2 on Sunday, with one dug out AND EATEN on Monday and the other on Tuesday; not even a root ball left…

      Reply
  15. Lynn Howdeshell says

    June 30, 2020 at 8:50 pm

    Where can I get this plant and do deer like it?

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 1, 2020 at 7:24 am

      Lynn,

      Online or locally, you’ll have to look around.

      Reply
  16. ava says

    June 30, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    That is a beautiful plant Mike. Thanks for the share

    Reply
  17. Tom Crumbaugh says

    June 30, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    Are these plants deer proof? Thanks

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 1, 2020 at 7:25 am

      Tom,

      I really don’t know, I’d have to look it up.

      Reply
    • Vudutu says

      July 1, 2020 at 5:11 pm

      Not that I’ve seen

      Reply
  18. Tom says

    June 30, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    What about deer browser?

    Reply
  19. Cynthia says

    June 30, 2020 at 7:08 pm

    I’ve had Jack Frost Brunnera growing around my back yard for over 30 years. It “came with the house”. I’ve also seen this plant called “False Forget Me Nots. Because of the sweet little flowers.Very deep roots, it blooms in the early spring and then goes to seed. If the sunn is too much on them, they turn brown and die, but I clean them up and they come back the next year.
    Lovely little plant.

    Reply
  20. Esther Volkan says

    June 30, 2020 at 6:54 pm

    Mike I can’t grow roses because the Japanese Beetles destroy them. Do you have a cure for these beetles. I live in Virginia.

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 1, 2020 at 7:26 am

      Esther, about all you can do is spray the roses and treat for Japanese beetle grubs.

      Reply
  21. Monica Karn says

    June 30, 2020 at 6:39 pm

    Hi Mike, the flowers remind me of forget-me-nots!
    Does the plant die down over winter…like hostas?
    I love that you share your sweet donkeys and your
    awesome gardening knowledge with us.
    Most inspiring, thanks!

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 1, 2020 at 7:27 am

      Monica,

      Yes, it does die down in the winter and comes back in the spring.

      Reply
  22. Beverly says

    June 30, 2020 at 6:27 pm

    Very pretty..would brighten a shady spot.

    Reply
  23. Mary Sills says

    June 30, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    watch out Brunner spreads!

    Reply
  24. MARY says

    June 30, 2020 at 6:20 pm

    I truly enjoy reading your plant tips and growing ideas. They are simple to understand and you make it all seem so easy. THANKS for all the help.

    Reply
  25. karen nelson says

    June 27, 2020 at 10:31 am

    mike, how can I propogate Jack Frost? I have several mature plants but want more. Same with huccerah.

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 10, 2020 at 7:00 am

      Karen,

      Pretty sure that Jack Frost Brunnera is patented and illegal to propagate.

      Reply

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