Siberian-tea, Pigsqueak, Heartleaf Bergenia
Bergenia cordifolia
Family: Saxifragaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Lavender, Pink. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Late winter, Mid spring. Form: Rounded.
Bergenia cordifolia is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.8 m (2ft 7in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from March to April. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Damp rocky woodland and meadows.
E. Asia - Siberia, Mongolia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 3
A useful ground cover plant, though rather slow to spread. It forms a clump. Tannin is obtained from the bark. On a 10% moisture basis, the roots contain 14.5% tannin and the leaves 10.5%.
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Ground cover, Massing, Rock garden, Seashore, Woodland garden. Succeeds in full sun or light shade in most soils but prefers a deep fertile soil that does not dry out fully. Established plants are drought tolerant according to another report. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Plants are at their best in a medium-heavy soil. Requires a position sheltered from cold drying winds and from the early morning sun. The leaf colour is best when plants are grown in a poor soil in a sunny position. A very ornamental plant, it is hardy to about -20°c. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. This species is closely related to B. crassifolia, and is considered to be no more than a synonym for that species in some new floras. The different species of this genus will hybridise freely when grown near each other. Special Features:Attractive foliage, Not North American native, Naturalizing.
Propagating it: Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse. Make sure that the compost does not dry out. Two weeks cold stratification can speed up germination which usually takes 1 - 6 months at 15°c. Fresh seed, sown as soon as it is ripe in late spring is liable to germinate better than stored seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in late spring after flowering or in autumn. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whilst smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; Ground Cover;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 3-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist