DESCRIPTION: New 2023 Frostbite Bugloss features airy cymes of bright blue flowers at the ends of the stems from early to late spring. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive heart-shaped leaves remain silver in colour with showy silver and green variegation throughout the season. 

BOTANICAL NAME: Brunnera macrophylla ' Frostbite'
AVERAGE MATURE HEIGHT: 30 cm
AVERAGE MATURE SPREAD: 40 cm
SUN EXPOSURE: Partial sun to full shade
FLOWER COLOUR: Bright blue
FLOWERING TIME: Spring
FOLIAGE COLOUR: Silvery white with green primary and secondary veins and a green rim around leaf edges
COLD HARDINESS: Zone 4
WATER NEEDS: Average ( Should survive up to -39.9° Celsius )
OTHER FEATURES: Attractive Foliage, Border, Cut Flowers, Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant

Landscape Attributes

Frostbite Bugloss is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other garden plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Frostbite Bugloss is recommended for the following landscape applications:

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Frostbite Bugloss will grow to be about 9 inches tall at maturity with a spread of 13 to 16 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. 

Frostbite Bugloss is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception.