Elephant Ears

Bergenia cordifolia
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Bergenia
Species: cordifolia

One of the more challenging aspects of gardening is trying to figure out which plant will do well in any given year. We can read cultivation tips and put them into practice with great diligence, and yet there always seem to be mystical forces at work that mandate plant performance. This spring, for example, in my own yard—and in those of others, judging by clinic questions—tulips have exceeded all expectations while daffodils are underperforming, to put it mildly. There seems to be no logical reason for this phenomenon, but it plays out through all seasons. The bad news is that some plants in some years just limp along. The good news is that others take up the slack by flourishing beyond all logic. I guess if we humans are entitled to bad hair days, then plants can have their bad years every once in a while.

One of the perennials that is having an exceptionally good year is Bergenia cordifolia, commonly known as Elephant Ears or just as “bergenia.” It was pretty subdued last year, according to my increasingly enfeebled memory that must be backed up these days with careful entries in my garden journal. In fact, I haven’t seen such an exuberant performance for several springs. The stalks of pinkish-mauve blooms are beautifully colored and standing tall all around my neighborhood. Always lending a touch of the dramatic to the front of the border, this year our bergenias are outdoing themselves. They and the tulips almost make up for the dearth of daffodils.

Bergenias—not italicized here because the botanical name is regularly used as a common name, as well—are very hardy plants, native to Siberia and the northernmost parts of China. It is found in the wild in the Himalayas. The thick, oval leaves, eight inches long, leathery in appearance and ruffled along the edges, are a fine green now, but last fall they brought color to the autumn garden with hues of bronze. They were evident all winter, as the plant is evergreen; bergenias lend shape and substance to the border throughout the year. Bergenia cordifolia makes a fine groundcover, growing in clumps in almost any soil. It’s a particular boon to us here, because it manages to look good in those dry, shady places where we have few plant choices. If you have a bare spot under your conifers, consider amending the soil with compost and letting bergenias take hold. Give them a deep watering occasionally during the summer—remember how much water is sucked up by conifers, and an 18-inch perennial doesn’t stand much of a chance against a thirsty, 75-foot Douglas fir. Surrounding them with a sharp-edged mulch will help conserve water and deter the slugs that are the only real threats to a bergenia’s well-being. Bergenias will also do well in moist but not soggy soil, and they make fine aesthetic companions to hostas, astilbes, and ferns. They can be planted in front of rhododendrons and other shade-loving shrubs. In our area, bergenias can also withstand full sun—their leaves will retain some bronze tones in this situation—so just about any place in your garden will suit them. They handle heavy clay soils with aplomb. Prepare their site well and give them standard care, and they will clump happily for years to come. Divide them every few years for propagation and to keep them looking their best.

For those of you interested in plant taxonomy, Bergenia cordifolia is one of the instances where confusion occasionally reigns. B. cordifolia and B. crassifolia are quite similar. The distinguishing differences are size—B. crassifolia stands not quite as tall—flower and leaf form—those of B. cordifolia are borne in more pendulous clusters and are sometimes obscured by the leaves, which in B. crassifolia are more rounded—and bloom time. B. crassifolia flowers earlier. However, the names are used interchangeably on many commercial labels, and often the species name appears not at all because of the proliferation of hybrid cultivars bred for particular foliage or floral features. So, check the labels and you’ll find shorter bergenias or taller ones; purple, red, or lilac flowers—even white ones, in the case of Bergenia ‘Silver Light’ (a synomyn is B. x ‘Silberlicht’), which offers smaller leaves of a deeper green. Whichever bergenia you select, I think you’ll appreciate the versatility of this adaptable and dependable perennial.