Bergenia will capture your heart

Leatherleaf bergenia was as common as dirt in the Los Angeles of my childhood. In the older neighborhoods populated by craftsman bungalows, these plants resided amid hand-crafted woodwork and cobblestone footings. A remnant of the Arts and Crafts movement, many of the still-living colonies are true legacies of the original landscapes.

Among the most memorable, easily recognized and too rarely appreciated is bergenia crassifolia, a fleshy leaf perennial. It is a plant capable of evoking a visceral response from many, leading to its erratic rise and fall from popularity. Loved in the ’30s, disdained in the ’50s and now just recently rediscovered, these cast iron plants are too often misunderstood.

Genus bergenia contains two species in widespread cultivation: cordifolia and crassifolia. It takes an expert to tell them apart. The two have been crossed and recrossed, some naturally hybridizing in the Old World before reaching Los Angeles.

It’s a unique thick-stemmed, ground-hugging plant that is surprisingly cold hardy. From the stems rise large flat succulent leaves about the size of a desert plate. The foliage will change color with the seasons, taking on vivid reds and purples with extreme heat or cold. The surface texture of the leaves is so tacky it was called pig’s squeak because of the noise your fingers make passing across it.

What makes them most fascinating is that this succulent plant defies frost. It’s not surprising considering the fact that they came west from Siberia in 1760, the gift of a Russian empress. It will carry its foliage nearly year around even in colder winter climates.

In the old Los Angeles homes they were used in linear plantings to define other things in the garden. Many a home has its front foundation bed edged in a prim ribbon of bergenia leaves at the back of the lawn. In early spring these are crowned by racemes of bright pink papery flowers. This was the most common plant to ring the base of a pedestal, most often a fountain, bird bath or sun dial. Perhaps it is because the succulent leaves were less vulnerable to water damage from over-spill, or a better adaptation to persistent moisture.

The thick fleshy stems are quick to strike roots. This helps the plants spread out into large colonies where they are naturalized. The only problem is that inner stems became so woody they would fail to produce leaves, which explains why they were typically an edging rather than a groundcover mass. It was an old practice to expand one’s edging ability by cutting and rooting bergenias. The rooted cuttings were handy to fill in the barren centers of older stands that grow sparse with age. Naturally they were shared among home gardeners expanding interest even further.

Although they came to their pinnacle of popularity in Los Angeles, hardy bergenia is still present in cold climate gardens everywhere. It was once a coveted rock garden beauty in the 1920s. You will even find it in old estates thoroughly rootbound in large footed concrete or stone urns.

Bergenias can be grown for their foliage or flowers. Winterglow is a green leaf variety that produces unusually dark coral red flowers that contrast nicely with the foliage. Evening Glow was bred for its foliage producing green with a purple tinge that brightens to a striking rich maroon in the fall.

Unfortunately it doesn’t look particularly attractive in nursery pots so they’re often overlooked in garden centers. But this plant is a sure thing for anyone looking to improve their digs in very early winter, early spring and hopefully many months in between.

Bergenia is among the most unappreciated of all easy perennials. It will capture your heart when its willing growth provides much needed accent for spring bulbs. The large flat leaves are also a powerful tool for creating strong textural contrast with other perennials. And as always, it’s the quintessential edger.

Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist and host of “Weekend Gardening” on DIY Network. Contact her at her Web site www.moplants.com or visit www.diynetwork.com.