Bergenia Bach - Elephant's Ears

The 'Bach' Bergenia, known as Elephant's Ears, is a horticultural crossbreeding from 1950. The range of dark colours that make up this cultivar is of unparalleled elegance. Its rosette of large, glossy, evergreen leaves, dark green in colour, turning purple-red in winter, beautifully accompany its upright clusters of white-pink flowers with black cherry centres and burgundy calyxes in spring. This classic and easy perennial eventually forms a low and thick carpet, even colonizing the most inhospitable spaces outside of dry and hot regions. Hardy, undemanding, and perfectly frost-resistant, it is essential in gardens with little light, with well-drained, rather moist, and humus-rich soil.

The 'Bach' Bergenia is a plant from the Saxifragaceae family, of hybrid and horticultural origin. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that is approximately 30cm (12in) in height, with a creeping habit and a growth habit gathered in tight clumps about 40cm (16in) wide. It grows on a creeping, large, thick rhizome enveloped by the sheaths of the leaf base. Over time, this plant spreads, but its growth is so slow that it can hardly be considered invasive. Secondary stems appear here and there, eventually forming a beautiful carpet. The leathery leaves, arranged in rosettes, are glossy and shiny. They are very thick, heart-shaped, with dentate edges. The flowers, rather horizontally borne, are grouped in panicles. They are white, evolving towards light pink and fragrant, and carried by purple-orange stems that stand well above the foliage. Blooming from March to May, this variety may have a second bloom in late summer.

The 'Bach' Bergenia thrives in most soils, but a humus-rich and moist soil is preferable. It tolerates coastal conditions and limestone soils. Dry soils tend to limit growth. It thrives in shade, partial shade, or sunny locations that are not scorching: dense shade should be avoided, as it does not flower, as well as intense sunlight. Cold and poor soils enhance its colours. If you are looking for an elegant and sturdy perennial that will always be attractive, look no further than this Bergenia. It can be advantageously used in pots, containers, rockeries, borders, or as a small ground cover, or at the base of deciduous bushes that allow winter sun but protect it from summer heat. It can be combined with perennial geraniums (Geranium macrorrhizum), primroses, and in woodland areas, oriental hellebores, hostas, and Rodgersias to border a pathway.