Jack Frost Brunerra

I bought a Jack Frost Brunerra last year because I loved the foilage. I planted it near my astilbes and hostas. When it came up this year the color had changed. It now has a cream edge and a green center. And just recently I've noticed the edges having a burnt look. I'm wondering if I should move it to deeper shade. Has this happened to anyone else's brunerra?

I bought more this year and have them planted in the same area and they look fine.

Ginj

My plant is fine with the astilbes and hostas. Have you been getting enough rain (like everyone else!)? My experience with this variety is that it is temperamental until established. Very strange about the color change though.

I planted a Jack Frost last year, and it had a tough time getting established; was often wilted and looked burnt around the edges, like you're describing. I dug a circle outside the root line and added some water crystals to the soil. It perked up pretty promptly, settled in nicely and came back this year looking fine. Might want to try it, especially if you're having dry times like we did last year. Just don't overdo the crystals, or you get what looks like green jello oozing out of the soil after a heavy rain (lol).

Thanks. We have been dryer since the end of May. I don't think we've had any rain for 3 weeks now. I've had to water . I'll try the crystals to see if that helps. I still wonder about the color change though.
Ginj

Regarding the color change: It's genetically impossible, or at least unheard of, for it to completely change it's color pattern permanently. I don't think brunerra can "revert" like some hostas do, so it might just be soil and/or weather conditions. Cross your fingers and see what happens next spring. (Maybe new growth this summer will be back to normal.)

Please post a photo. It might help see what you are talking about. This Jack Frost is at the base of a delphinium and it is blooming right now. The photo was taken about a week ago. I planted these last year and they were a little ouchy then. They all grew well, but did get brown on the edges. This year, they are thriving. I did move two of them to a more cool area because the sun was radiating from the pavers in the late afternoon in the previous location. Now they are set in wooly thyme ground cover and it stays cooler even though the amount of sun is the same. The yellow heuchera next to them do get a little crunchy though. Post a photo. I have this brunerra that is half green, half white leaved and it is wimping along. I need to dig them up and move them. I"m not sure what they are. They are crowded out and haven't done much.

Crazy

Here are the other two.

I'll try and get a photo tomorrow. My new Jack Frost looks like a Jack Frost. But then so did this one last year. Like I said it has a cream outer edge and green center. And the leaves have gotten quite large.
Ginj

Well I found out what I have now...It was Jack Frost last year...At least that is what it was marked. And it looked like Jack Frost too. But this is what I have now. Brunerra Variegated. I took this image from an online nursery.

Ginj

Brunnera Hadspens Cream.jpg
This may be the one you have.

This message was edited Jul 6, 2008 4:13 PM

Ginj,

I have a cousin who owns a fabulous nursery in Mankato. I don't remember the name of it though. It is really gorgeous with gardens you can walk through. I was there last year for the first time. Is twonder if this is where you bought your plant?

Crazy

Crazy,
I wonder if that is Edenvale nursery? Just outside of Mankato. They are related to Koberski's who also have a small selling place just one business down from us. Sheila has mentioned family in Washington.

No I didn't get that brunerra from them. I do buy my hostas and geraniums from them though...Plus a few other plants over the years.

Small world huh?

Ginj

Yes, the Koberskis are my cousins. Dick and Sheila and this is Dick's brother and his wife but I'm having trouble with their names. It is a big family. Their nursery is fabulous.

Crazy

I have both varietes (Jack Frost and the variegated one), and they both get the brown edge from time to time, but the variegated one does tend to look rattier in general for me. Mine are all in shade...I was kind of wondering if was related to overhead watering....some kind of rotting of something. In any case, they look ok despite the occasional brown edge. They seem to put up new leaves thruout the summer, so it's not a big deal to me.

It's interesting how even the Jack Frosts differ...I have one that just has a different look to the leaf pattern than the others...the green veining is a bit thinner so the leaf is more solidly silver looking.

I think I might have the Jack Frosts and Looking Glass. I saw a Looking Glass and it is like one of my Jack Frosts. Go figure.

I used to have Jack Frost planted where it received reflected heat from a stone wall and the house.They grew well,but browned a little when it was really hot.I moved them to a slightly cooler place with mostly just morning sun and it seems to have helped.Lynn

When I picked up three new Jack Frost this past Spring, there was another variety there that looked very similar to it....for some reason I think it was a lady's name, or a "Mrs" something....ring any bells with anyone? Now I'm wondering if the one I have that seems a touch different than the rest is not really Jack Frost...I'll try to post some pics later.

The only one than think of that's even close is' Mr. Morse'.Or if it was a lungwort,'Mrs. Moon'.Lynn

It's great that I found this thread. I was out watering yesterday and noticed that my Jack Frost, which has looked wonderful and silvery, seems to have totally imploded and gotten wilty, with dark brown edges to the leaves. We had massive rain a few days ago, and also had had a heat wave. I hope that it'll perk up and make new leaves over the rest of the summer - some of our other things are having a hard time (browning daylily leaves, etc.) so I certainly hope perhaps it's just weather-related.

Hi,
I would keep a close eye on it if it is wilty.The browning edges can occur during really hot weather and sometimes they seem to flatten out slightly,but the foliage doesn't feel limp.It probably is weather though,because they are pretty pest free,although one year a small bed by the house became infested with hundreds of black bugs crawling in the dirt and up the house and I did lose one 'Jack Frost' Lynn

I adore my Jack Frost -- but it has browned very badly this summer. It has not wilted though. I wish I knew what caused the browning. . . ..

My Jack Frosts have pretty much all done the same thing.
Browning wilted foliage, though some have nice greenish new leaves emerging from the center of the clump.
But I recall the same thing happening last year.
They all came back strong this spring.
I presume they're mainly stars of the spring garden.
Once the heat / humidity arrive, they head south.
I don't really know that this is true;
It's just my theory after observing them in my yard over the years.

Thanks for the input, Weerobin! Several years ago, mine disappeared completely mid-summer during a drought when I didn't water it regularly. I was devastated -- but it showed up the next spring. This year is hasn't diminished in size. It just looks awful. So maybe that is just the way it is. But it is so gorgeous when it is fresh that I suppose it is worth it!

This message was edited Aug 18, 2008 10:16 PM

Here is why my variegated Brunnera will probably not be in my garden next year....this is actually the better looking one of the two that I have, and it has looked this bad all Spring and Summer. I don't know if it's slugs or something else destroying it.

I'd guess slugs -- they are very delicious to slugs! I use a lot of Sluggo . . . .

Here is a recent shot of a clump of three Jack Frosts, which have looked great all Summer. Just recently, I've noticed some black rotten splotches on the side of one (visible in the left side here)...I have put that down to all our recent heavy rain...certainly not lack of water, that's for sure)

Me too, Happy, but it doesn't seem to help my garden much. They still find my hosta. They don't seem to munch Jack Frost, though. Or not nearly as much, anyway.

I'm not sure if the variegated Brunnera is worth keeping around as Slug food, basically to help my hosta out.

I say one thing, if I could keep that variegated Brunnera from getting all ratty looking, it would really be a standout plant...it really lights up the shade- when the white doesn't get all eaten or burnt off! Interestingly, I have a lot of problems with the white parts of variegated hosta and slugs...maybe white edges are just a problem in general.

Brunnera really like quite a bit of shade,but sun is okay if it's not late afternoon.Contrary to what you read many places,they are one of the best dry shade plants around.I have never had a slug bother 'Jack Frost'.It seems like most problems they have (other than my black ground bug incident above),are caused by too much water or intense heat,such as reflected heat.
Lynn

Noreaster: my Jack Frost has the same browning as on that small portion of your otherwise gorgeous plant -- except mine is all over it. And the slugs do ignore my Jack Frost.

Ibrabec: My yard does get warm. My Jack Frost is in the shade, but maybe it is objecting to the heat.

It could be.Now that mine are no longer next to the house or any walls,they no longer get any browning.I have them planted fairly close to other plants and that might help keep them cooler.It's very hot here,also,and mine do get some morning and a little afternoon sun.Basically it's an east exposure,but a little southeast.
Lynn

I know I will be moving my brunnera next year. Mine get late afternoon sun. Though the Jack Frost look okay this year, the variegated does look a bit ratty.
Ginj

I'm submitting my nomination for ugliest Jack Frost specimen.
Believe it or not, he was beautiful all spring / summer until about 2 wks ago.
Then he threw in the towel.
He's just in a few hours of morning sun, otherwise shaded all day.
I've always presumed they can't take the heat / humidity of our late summers.
They reliably bounce back in the spring.
And they're so nice in the spring, I put up with the late summer swoon.

Should I take off the wilted / brown leaves? Or just leave it be?
It's got some fresh green growth in the middle.

It really doesn't matter if you leave it or remove it,as long as it's just browning from heat and has no diseases or bugs.It will be beautiful next spring.
Lynn

I think mine might be uglier -- I'll try to remember to snap a photo.

One thing about them that's good I guess is they always bounce back in the spring.They will also look better when the cooler temps start.They will also grow in the very poorest dry soil.My bed is very eclectic.On one side they have Lamium 'Herman's Pride' and behind that a Kerria and Euonymous 'Moonshadow'.On the other side where I water more are Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford' and a few Hostas.In front is a miniature Hydrangea,and Lungwort.The whole bed is made up of plants that require different conditions,but it works.My point is that if they are browning badly or suffering from heat surround them with other plants that help shade them or keep them cooler in July and August heat.
Lynn

I guess the Atlanta heat is just too much for them. I bought 2 of them a few years back in a co op for $8.00 each. one died before the summer was out and the other one barely peeped out the following year. I had them in shade, but neither came back the third year.

I transplanted a couple of mine last year because they would brown by mid summer. Then this year I had a couple of lungworts (?) that did the same thing. I dug them up and found the roots very warm as they were close to the pavers and even though they only got a couple of hours of sun in the morning, because they were close to the walkway, the roots warmed up and the whole plant stayed warm during the day. I moved them to an area that is much cooler and doesn't heat up at all and they are thriving. No brown leaves and we are in mid August. I have planted more heat tolerant plants in the other planter. I think ground covers under the Jack Frosts help keep their feet cool.

Crazy

I love ALLf your Brunneras, even if they have mid and end of summer blahs...

If anyone is planning on throwing in the towel and getting rid of them, I would love to try them. I would trade for something else I have or reimburse the postage...whatever you wish. I just love foliage plants!...and I guess the nurse in me seeks to rescue those in need! ;o)

RatherB