Many plants are grown in the garden only due to their bright appearance– beautiful and attractive flowers or bright succulent leaves. And only some cultures combine these qualities. Also only a small amount ornamental plants can boast of having useful qualities– ability to prevent and treat different pathological conditions. Bergenia cordifolia is distinguished by precisely these properties. Let’s clarify how this plant is planted and what care it needs, and we will also discuss growing cordifolia bergenia from seeds.
Cordifolia bergenia is also known as Bergenia cordifolia. Many gardeners love it for its attractive large, shiny and truly chic leaves, while others like its pink, lilac or white bell-shaped flowers, which look advantageous against the background of foliage, rising on strong legs. This plant came to us from Siberia, from the Altai Mountains. And now it is popular in landscape design.
Growing bergenia from seeds
Such a plant is quite often propagated by dividing the bush, but in principle, readers of Popular About Health can try growing it from seeds. Such planting material is sown before winter. For this purpose, you need to take a flower box of a suitable size and fill it with soil mixture. You need to make grooves in the soil at intervals of three centimeters from one to the other. Their optimal depth is five millimeters. Place bergenia seeds in the grooves and cover them with soil. The planting box must be taken outside and placed under the snow. Closer to the beginning of March, you can remove the container with the crops and bring it indoors. Optimal conditions for germination - partial shade and a temperature of eighteen to nineteen degrees.
Seedlings appear literally after three weeks. They need to be moved to a more illuminated place. In the future, the growing seedlings need to be watered periodically (as the top layer of soil dries out), and the soil around small plants must be loosened. In addition, it is important to ventilate the room. The seedlings need to be thinned out so that they do not interfere with each other.
If a green crust or coating suddenly appears on the surface of the soil, you need to carefully loosen the soil.
In May, the grown seedlings should be transferred to a box at intervals of five to seven centimeters. Optimal width row spacing - fifteen centimeters. About a couple of weeks before the planned planting in the garden, it is worth starting to gradually harden the seedlings. It should be taken out to the balcony or terrace, gradually increasing the duration of stay on fresh air. After young plants get used to spending the night outside, you can transplant them into open ground.
Planting bergenia cordifolia
Optimal time for planting heart-leaved bergenia in open ground - the beginning of August. It is worth noting that this plant has a weak and horizontal root system, so it is best to grow it on light, loose, moist and slightly alkaline soils. Bergenia roots quite often crawl out to the surface of the ground, so you need to protect them from the bright sun. Accordingly, it is better to plant such plants in partial shade, on the north, northeast or northwest side personal plot. If this is not possible, the planting site must be mulched.
It is worth remembering that bergenia does not tolerate stagnant water at all.
To plant plants, it is worth making holes in the soil, the depth of which is six to eight centimeters. They need to be arranged in a checkerboard pattern at intervals of forty centimeters. It is worth pouring a handful of sand into the bottom of each hole for proper drainage. Afterwards, you need to transfer the plant along with the earthen lump and dig it in carefully. Then the plantings need to be watered.
It is worth noting that cordifolia grows rather slowly and begins to bloom only three to four years after planting (when grown from seeds).
Features of caring for bergenia cordifolia
This plant is not capricious at all. It needs to be watered in a timely manner, but not too often. If the summer turns out to be dry, moistening is carried out only three times during the season - at the budding stage, during the flowering period and about two to three weeks after its end.
Dying bergenia leaves need to be torn off (without leaving cuttings). The soil should be mulched.
In the spring, after the snow melts, it is worth feeding the plants using complex mineral fertilizers. The next feeding is carried out a couple of weeks after the end of the flowering period - at the stage of growing new leaves.
Usually, bergenia is fertilized using the Kemira-combi composition, a tablespoon of which must be diluted in a bucket of water. This volume of fertilizer should be enough for two square meters plot.
Young plants must be covered for the winter, as they may suffer from frost. In autumn, they should be sprinkled with dry leaves or covered with spruce branches. Mature plants overwinter well without shelter.
In the spring, you need to cut off the damaged leaves from the bergenia and trim off the overgrown shoots.
Thus, cordifolia bergenia is a completely unpretentious plant. It can be grown without much difficulty in your own garden plot.
The flowering plant bergenia is a charming evergreen “resident”, which is considered worthy decoration any summer flower garden. We will tell you in the article what varieties and types of bergenia there are, how to properly plant and care, grow and propagate the plant, as well as what garden crops to combine in landscape design!
Description: varieties and varieties of bergenia
Extraordinary beautiful plant Bergenia, completely strewn with small pink flowers, came to gardeners from Siberia. It was the harsh growing conditions that made herbaceous plant unpretentious and capable of wintering in any region of our country.
An amazing feature of bergenia is not only the beauty of the inflorescences, but also the wonderful healing properties: the leaves and rhizomes of the garden perennial are considered a treasure trove of ascorbic, tannic and gallic acid, and carotene. Prepared from thick-leaved bergenia medicines have a good anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effect, have a beneficial effect on intestinal motility, and improve the secretion process of the digestive glands. And tea brewed from the leaves will not only have an unusual aroma, but also strengthen the cardiovascular system.
Interesting! Gardeners often compare bergenia, which does not take much time to plant and care for, with elephant ears. And all because the plant has beautiful, large leaves, which can change their color throughout the season, which greatly enlivens the flower garden, emphasizing its uniqueness and picturesqueness.
In nature, there are about 10 species of this flowering plant and many of the most unusual varieties. This feature allows you to create luxurious flower arrangements using only bergenia.
The most common garden crop is the thick-leaved bergenia, which received its name because of its fleshy leaves with petioles, which contain a supply of moisture. By crossing thick-leaved bergenia with other species, breeders managed to develop several varieties of this crop:
- "Britten" with soft pinkish flowers (gardeners call this variety "apple blossom");
- "Purple Glocken" with fragrant inflorescences of a deep purple color;
- "Abbenglute" with bright pink velvety flowers;
- “Morgenrote”, “Sunningdale” are no less beautiful, but late-flowering varieties. Their flowering peak occurs in the middle of the summer season.
Planting a plant
If you want bergenia, which is extremely simple to plant and care for, to grow to its full potential and retain all its beneficial properties as much as possible, try to recreate the natural conditions for its growth.
For planting, it is better to use lightweight turf soil, avoid clay soil or dilute it fine sand or crushed stone. Bergenia grows well in sand, compost and clay soil, but stagnation of water has a bad effect on its growth and flowering. If the mail is sufficiently drained, then flowering plants You can safely improve the banks of reservoirs and ponds.
The best period for planting is spring or late summer. Before planting, the soil is prepared, its composition is determined and, if necessary, improved, and weeds are removed. Only after this a spacious hole (up to 30 cm) is dug, the rhizome of the plant is placed in it and sprinkled with earth.
Advice! Planting is done with the utmost care so as not to damage the root system!
Often before planting, the hole is filled with water, into which the rhizomes are placed and covered with a layer of soil. Then the soil is compacted and mulched with sawdust and peat. If the second method was chosen for planting (using water), then watering will be required only after 5-7 days.
Plant care
Like any garden crop, bergenia requires care, but it cannot be called burdensome. All that is needed for normal growth and fabulous flowering is timely watering, eliminating stagnation of water and overflow, suitable feeding, periodic cleaning of falling leaves and mulching.
Important! In the spring, bergenia needs to be cleared of last year's shoots, dried leaves should be removed, and the shoots should be slightly shortened.
If the plant was not planted in a visible place in the garden plot, then you don’t have to clean it garden culture from last year's leaves: gradually falling off, they will cover the soil with a peculiar protective layer, which will help retain moisture in the soil and protect the plant from overheating in the summer heat.
In one place, bergenia can grow quietly for about 10 years, while it does not require replanting and is extremely resistant to frost in the soil.
Fertilizer and fertilizing of bergenia
The plant is very responsive to properly selected fertilizing. It is recommended to use it before and after bergenia blooms. mineral fertilizers. 2-3 weeks after flowering, you can feed the plant: fertilizers in this case activate the process of growing and aging of the leaves, which at this time are just beginning to change their color.
Plant propagation
The reproduction procedure is somewhat lengthy and difficult, but not all of us prefer easy solutions. For those who do not succumb to difficulties, we will tell you about two methods of propagation - using seeds and cuttings.
Method 1. Growing bergenia by propagating seeds.
To begin with, we note that bergenia has black and very small seeds (1-2 mm). During the first few years, seedlings develop slowly, forming miniature rosettes no more than 2.5 cm long. Seedlings need constant watering and supervision, and late autumn they must be covered with dried leaves until spring. In addition, the seedlings must be planted with a substrate of compost, loamy soil and sand (ratio 1:1).
Experienced breeders note that the most The best way reproduction is planting in early spring in a special sowing container, which is fearlessly exposed in the winter under the snow and only in the middle of spring is placed in warmth. Seedlings are planted in an area of permanent growth in the second year in the second half of summer.
Method 2. Growing bergenia by cuttings.
For propagation using this method, strong and healthy middle-aged plants are selected. Before planting, part of the branch with the apical bud and rosette is separated, and almost all the leaves are torn off. Usually after a few days you can notice the first signs of rooting. It is recommended to plant cuttings at a distance of no more than 40 cm from each other, placing the rosette in prepared soil to the base. The procedure for caring for seedlings is similar to adult plants.
Diseases and pests
Thick-leaved bergenia is insensitive to pests and diseases. But this is only if all the conditions for flower growth are met, otherwise the plant may suffer from spotting from time to time: brown spots with sharp outlines. Subsequently, the color of these spots will change from brown to brown-gray. On bottom side The leaves gradually develop a white, unhealthy coating. To get rid of a fungal disease, just trim off the diseased leaves or spray with Bordeaux liquid composition, foundationazole or preparations with a high copper content.
Bergenia: combination with other plants
Bergenia, planted in flower beds, creates unusual compositions with plants such as:
- fern;
- Mahonia;
- lungwort;
- juniper;
- hellebore.
But it is better not to plant bergenia with lilies of the valley, periwinkle and other low-growing and creeping plants - it will not only get lost among them, but will also prevent them from growing, and will itself be limited in space. A well-groomed bergenia, growing under the spreading crown of any tree, looks unusually picturesque and harmonious. deciduous tree. Bergenia is no less beautiful surrounded by spring bulbous flowers - delicate, charming snowdrops and woodlands, bright crocuses.
Bergenia in landscape design
An important feature of bergenia - unpretentious care and lighting - allows you to grow the plant both in the shade and under direct lines. sun rays, in flower beds surrounded by other flowers and as an independent unit of landscape design. Thanks to its creeping rhizomes, bergenia effectively covers the soil, preventing the appearance of weeds.
How to grow bergenia correctly: video
Bergenia in the garden: photo
For registration garden plots natural style is ideal perennial bergenia. Its ornamental dark green leaves and pink flowers will decorate the garden from early spring to late autumn. In addition, the flower has medicinal properties and is widely used in folk medicine. It is difficult to find a plant that is more unpretentious in planting, care and propagation. Even a novice gardener can grow bergenia on his plot.
Description, types and photos of bergenia
This herbaceous unusually beautiful plant belongs to the saxifrage family and is famous for its bright inflorescences. Large shiny bergenia leaves collected in a rosette resemble elephant ears. That is why people often call it “elephant ears.” One inflorescence of a plant can contain more than 100 flowers, each of which has a diameter of 2 cm.
There are 10 types of bergenia found in nature. Among them, three types are the most popular and are most often used for decorating garden plots.
Flowering of all types of bergenia lasts about a month. The plant grows rhizomes every year, and therefore grows well, as if “crawling” around the site.
Bergenia: planting and care in open ground
This shade-tolerant, winter-hardy plant grows well not only in light areas, but also in partial shade and shade. However, the plant does not bloom in full shade, and does not grow well in open sunny space.
Landing Features
You should know that bergenia does not tolerate transplants well. Conditions for its growth should be as close to natural as possible. Only in this case will the plant grow well and retain its healing properties.
Soil requirements for bergenia:
- The best substrate for flower growth is considered to be turf soil, instead of which you can use a mixture consisting of loamy soil, compost and sand;
- if the site has loamy soil, it is recommended to dilute it with sand and crushed stone;
- the plant does not tolerate stagnant water, so the soil for it must be well drained.
It is best to plant in the spring, but it can also be done in early August. Having prepared the soil for bergenia, you will need to dig spacious holes no more than 30 cm deep. Next, rhizomes are placed in them and carefully sprinkled with earth. The plant is watered.
To do not damage fragile roots, the hole can first be filled with water, then the rhizomes can be placed in it and covered with soil. In this case, the plant will need to be watered only after a week.
Care
Growing in one place bergenia maybe about ten years. It does not require constant transfers to a new site. Does not require a flower and special care, but some nuances still need to be taken into account.
Propagation of bergenia
The plant reproduces in two ways:
- dividing the bush;
- seeds.
Dividing the bush
This method of propagation is not very difficult, so even novice gardeners can do it.
You can divide the bush in May-June. This must be done so as not to damage the main rhizome. It will not be difficult to dig up new roots since they lie close to the soil surface. Each individual root must have at least two or three leaves and three root buds.
For divisions, holes 10-15 cm deep are prepared in advance. The distance between plants should be about 30-50 cm. Since bergenia grows well in breadth and not upward, there is no need to save space.
For the plant to bloom already next spring, the division should be planted vertically. In this case, the leaf rosette should protrude slightly above the ground.
To get a new one faster planting material the bushes sit at an angle. Usually shrub cuttings are rooted in this way. In this case, the plant will grow faster and produce new shoots.
After landing the ground well watered and sprinkled with mulch. Caring for young plants involves timely watering, loosening the soil and removing weeds.
Propagation by seeds
This is a rather lengthy process, so you need to be patient.
Sowing is best done in March. First you need to prepare a container and fill it with earth. Grooves 0.5 cm deep should be 3 cm apart from each other. warm water Quite small bergenia seeds are sown in the furrows.
When the room temperature is not lower than +20C, the seedlings sprout in about three weeks. They develop very slowly, forming very small rosettes. Caring for them involves timely watering.
Seedlings can be planted in the garden at the beginning of June. It is recommended to place the holes checkerboard 40x40 cm. Sand is poured into the bottom of each hole, the depth of which should be about 6 cm, and seedlings are placed. The seedlings are sprinkled on top with an earthen mixture, which consists of loamy soil, humus and sand in equal parts.
The seedlings go to winter when they are very small. They can have only two leaves and grow up to 2.5 cm. For the winter they need to be covered with peat or fallen leaves. Bergenia will bloom only in the third or fourth year after planting.
Medicinal properties of bergenia
The rhizomes of the plant contain substances that are used in modern medicine. Based on them are being manufactured medications , which have:
Medicines from the rhizomes of the plant are used for high blood pressure, sore throat, stomatitis, problems with intestinal function and even some gynecological diseases.
At home, you can use a decoction of broadleaf bergenia. It is prepared from 10 grams of the plant, which is poured with 200 g of boiling water and heated in a water bath for 30 minutes. The hot broth is filtered and cooled. It is recommended to take it three times a day, 1-2 tablespoons.
Landed on garden plot Bergenia will add a unique “zest” to landscape design. It will look very impressive against the background of stones and water. The flower is indispensable in compositions with variegated and narrow-leaved plants, which include phlox, arabis, and hosta. This is why it is worthwhile to grow in open ground bergenia, planting and caring for which will not take much time.
Bergenia plant
Badan - spectacular garden plant. Its large leathery leaves retain their decorative properties even in winter. When planting bergenia in open ground, caring for it is not difficult. It is only important to choose for him comfortable spot and organize proper care.
The most common types of this plant are thick-leaved bergenia (also called medicinal) and heart-leaved bergenia. Such varieties also exist in wildlife. IN Lately More species began to be grown: Pacific multicolored and purple.
Today the plant has become popular among gardeners and breeders have taken up its cultivation.
This is how new hybrids appeared:
- Baby Doll, or Doll. Flowering begins in April-May. Light pink inflorescences look like small bells. The leaves are round in shape.
- Britten. Its soft pinkish petals resemble apple blossoms.
- Purple Glocken. It blooms in May with fragrant purple inflorescences.
- Morgenrote and Sunningdale. Late flowering varieties. The peak flowering period for this species is mid-summer.
Varieties differ in the color and shape of the leaves, and they may have jagged or wavy edges.
Nuances of cultivation
Bergenia tolerates cold winters well and is not afraid of frost. No flower required special conditions growing. It can grow in a shady corner of the garden, and on sunny place, the main thing is that in the midday heat a shadow falls on it.
- It does not make great demands on the soil.
- When choosing a place for bergenia on the site, you should know that it does not tolerate stagnation of water and excess moisture. Of course, it needs to be watered, but it will tolerate a lack of water better than its excess.
- During flowering, dried flowers are removed.
- For good growth During flowering, this large plant must be fed.
- The soil around the bushes must be loosened, not allowing it to dry out.
- Weeds are suppressed under powerful leaves.
Planting in open ground
The birthplace of this plant is Siberia. A flower grown in such harsh conditions, can grow in any region of Russia.
In order for him to develop well, he needs to create an environment close to natural. For planting, you should choose a light one fertile soil, not clayey and well drained.
It is best to plant in spring or late August.
Planting is done in three ways:
- bush with leaf rosettes;
- prepared seedlings;
- rhizome.
The plant is replanted as a bush at the end of summer.
With this method, the following manipulations are performed:
- Bergenia is carefully dug up without damaging the rhizome, and together with a lump of earth it is planted in a prepared hole with water.
- Sprinkle the planting with soil and compact it.
- The next watering is done in a week.
- By frost, the bush will take root and calmly endure the winter.
Seedlings are planted in the ground when the weather warms up in June. Seedlings are planted in prepared holes. When removing the plant from the container, you need to make sure that the soil remains on the roots. Seedlings should not be planted in a sunny place.
The rhizome is planted in April. It should have five dormant buds. Before planting, the roots must be placed in water for several hours. The planted plant is mulched with peat.
When planting, you should prepare a spacious hole so that the roots of the plant can fit well in it.
Caring for the bergenia plant
Caring for this plant will not be burdensome. If you did everything correctly when planting, the flower will not require much attention.
- For growth and abundant flowering the plant will require sufficient water. This does not mean that it needs to be watered continuously. It is important to monitor the condition of the soil and water the plant when it dries out, avoiding excess and stagnation of moisture.
- Plant nutrition is important. It is fertilized twice a month. For this purpose, mineral and organic fertilizers are used. It will be good liquid fertilizer from 1 tbsp. spoons of nitrophoska and 2 tbsp. spoons organic fertilizer"Effecton-C", diluted in 10 liters of water.
In spring, you should give the plant a neat, attractive appearance. To do this, remove dried leaves and shorten long shoots. The ground around is loosened and weeds are removed. The plant can grow in one place for up to 10 years. In the future, it should be transplanted to another place, dividing the overgrown bush into smaller parts.
Bergenia after flowering
After flowering has finished, the bergenia flower needs to be fed. To do this, you can use the Kemira-combi fertilizer. One tablespoon of the composition is dissolved in 10 liters of water and watered under the root.
Faded flower stalks should be trimmed to maintain a neat appearance.
After flowering, the seeds are also collected. To avoid losing them, gauze bags are placed on wilted flowers. In September, cut inflorescences are placed in a dry, ventilated area. Here they are dried for several weeks, then poured out of the bags, cleaned and sent for storage.
Plant propagation methods
Bergenia is propagated by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush.
Propagation by seeds
Bergenia has small black seeds. They are sown immediately after harvesting directly on the surface of the prepared bed, sprinkled with moist soil on top. All summer they make sure that the soil does not dry out. For the winter, crops are covered with fallen leaves.
You can sow seeds in open ground in May. They germinate in a few weeks. Further care carry out as usual for sprouted seedlings. In the fall, the young animals are sheltered.
Seedlings develop very slowly, in the first year they produce miniature rosettes 2.5 cm high. When they reach a height of 10 cm, the plant is picked and planted in a chosen place for further growth. In just four years, the bergenia will strengthen and begin to bloom.
Growing bergenia by cuttings
For propagation, use healthy plants at least 4 years old.
- Before planting, a part of the root with three buds and leaves is separated from the bush.
- Leave two or three leaves.
- The cuttings are planted in the ground, maintaining a distance of 40 cm between them.
- The roots are sunk into the ground to a depth of 4 cm. Within a few days the cutting will take root.
Further care for seedlings is carried out as for adult plants.
Diseases, pests and care during this period
If you follow the rules of plant care and carefully prepare the soil for planting, bergenia may not develop diseases. But there are still some troubles to which he may be exposed.
- Penny is slobbering. This pest appears if the bush grows in full shade and on too wet soil. The pennitsa secretes saliva, which contains larvae. Parts of the plant covered with saliva rot and then dry up. Saliva protects the larvae well, so folk remedies it is not destroyed. To get rid of pennies, they use chemicals such as Tsvetofos and Intavir.
- Nematode. This roundworm lives in the soil and lays ball-like larvae. The dangerous pest multiplies very quickly. To destroy it, you need to dig up the diseased plant. If there is a small amount of damage, you can remove the diseased roots and transplant the bush to a new location. The soil should be treated chemicals and during the year you cannot plant any crops in this place.
- Bergenia is susceptible to leaf spot. Dark spots cover the leaves with front side, and on the reverse appears white coating. In the fight against disease, be sure to remove the diseased parts of the flower and apply Bordeaux mixture. Unfortunately this fungal disease Even low temperature does not destroy it.
Use in landscape design
Bergenia is a spectacular large plant. It looks great in combination with many ornamental crops, and therefore is one of the favorite plants for landscape design of garden plots and park areas.
Floral arrangements of bergenia and plants such as:
- fern;
- magnolia;
- astilbe;
- juniper.
They will decorate shady corners on the site.
Picturesque spring flower bed, where the bergenia will be surrounded by primroses - hyacinths, scillas, crocuses, snowdrops.
The proximity of bergenia to low-growing creeping flowers will be inconvenient. Its spreading bush will interfere with their growth, which will not make a beautiful element in the garden design.
In addition, bergenia has medicinal properties. Thick-leaved bergenia is medicinal. When its leaves turn black, they are used to obtain a healthy drink. The black leaf of the plant is part of “taiga tea” - it strengthens the immune system and has a tonic effect. It has long been used by hunters and geologists when going into the taiga.
Having become acquainted with such a beautiful and useful plant as bergenia, it is impossible not to plant it in your garden. Moreover, the flower does not require special care and will always delight you with its healthy appearance.
Among herbaceous perennials, bergenia occupies a special place. This evergreen plant can beautifully frame corners of the garden that are always visible. The flower itself, like any other perennials, fades quickly, and its leaves do not lose their decorative effect throughout the season. Let's figure out where and how to grow garden flower bergenia, what are its requirements for planting and care in the open ground, and also consider examples of compositions with its participation in garden design.
Evergreen bergenia flower: planting and care in open ground
Latin name– Bergenia was given to the plant in honor of Karl Bergen, a famous doctor and botanist from Germany. Bergenia is popularly called elephant ears due to the similarity of shapes, as well as Siberian, Mongolian or Chagir tea - the dried leathery leaves of the plant have been used for brewing tea since ancient times.
The genus Bergenia consists of 10 species, some of which have long been known and cultivated. Bergenia is attractive in appearance and useful plant, which could not go unnoticed by breeders who bred dozens of varieties and hybrids.
Types and varieties of bergenia
To begin with, let us note the general characteristics of all types of bergenia - these are mainly evergreen plants with powerful, horizontal roots and large, leathery, glossy, long-petioled leaves in basal rosettes. The flowers are fragrant, bell-shaped, the fruit is a capsule.
Bergenia thick-leaved (B. crassifolia)
A common species, it is the one that is used in folk medicine and for brewing tea; other names are bergenia, medicinal bergenia, early flower. The root is branched, the shoots are flower-bearing, leafless (not higher than 40 cm) and rosette vegetative. 
The green, obovate foliage of vegetative shoots acquires a bright red hue by autumn. The petioles of the fleshy leaves contain a supply of water. Many flowers, collected in dense inflorescences, open towards the end of April, flowering continues for about a month. To prepare tea, overwintered, old and dry leaves are cut off. Varieties:
- Hidenuspe – height up to 60 cm, flowers pinkish-white, inflorescences up to 20 cm. The variety blooms for about 70 days;
- Senior – no higher than 50 cm, flowers are pink, dark;
- Purpurea – bush height is about 50 cm, flowers are red, quite large.
Bergenia cordifolia (B. cordifolia)
Intraspecific variety previous type. The bush is no higher than 40 cm, the dark green foliage is round, heart-shaped with a rough texture. It blooms in May, with bright pink, sometimes lilac-tinged flowers, collected in inclined racemes. 
On sale you can find varieties with white, purple and light lilac flowers, here are some of the most common:
- Mongolian tea - with tall pink tassel flowers, with a dark purple core;
- Rotblum - deep pink tassels rise 40 cm above the lush rosettes of leaves.
Bergenia ciliate (B. ciliate)
Low perennial plant with large leaves. Round, rather large, hairy leaf blades are actively growing in width. Peduncles are long with white or pink flowers With pleasant aroma. In cold winters, when grown outdoors in open ground, the leaves sometimes fall off, but the plant itself survives. Flowers of this variety are suitable for cutting; they last more than a week in a vase.
The most popular variety is named after Disney's baby elephant Dumbo. Coloring when buds open white and pink flowers Initially pale, every day it becomes brighter and more saturated.
Pacific bergenia (B. pacifica)
This is a light-loving plant with soft green ovate leaves, the midrib of the leaf is convex. Old overwintered leaves die off during the growing season, changing color - becoming brown or red. New leaves grow towards the end of flowering. The peduncle is bare (rarely with one leaf), reddish in color, up to 40 cm in height. The species blooms in early spring pink flowers.
Bergenia stracheyi (V. stracheyi)
A species with ovate-oblong ciliated leaves, serrated along the edges. 
Blooms from July, peduncle height is about 40 cm. Varieties:
- Alba – white flowers;
- Beetchoven - no higher than 40 cm, a variety with original flowering - white buds, pink peduncles, brown calyxes;
- Belveder is a low-growing plant (up to 20 cm), the flowers are white, gradually acquiring a pink tint.
Hybrid bergenia (B. hybrida)
We have selected the most popular garden hybrids:
You can find other representatives of the genus Bergenia in the central botanical garden in Novosibirsk, in the garden of the Botanical Institute. V.L. Komarov (formerly the Imperial Botanical Garden) in St. Petersburg, as well as in the Almaty Botanical Garden of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Badan: cultivation and care
IN favorable conditions Bergenia grows well. Several bushes planted nearby will very quickly close their leaves and cover the soil. Caring for the plant is a pleasure; mulch the bushes with garden compost 1 or 2 times a year. In spring, remove damaged leaves and overgrown shoots so that the bush does not lose its decorative appearance. To avoid self-seeding and weakening of the plant, remove faded flower stalks. Fertilizing is carried out twice - in spring and after flowering, when new leaves begin to form.
Bergenia tolerates drought and frost, it is unpretentious to the composition of the soil, and loves partial shade. The only thing the plant doesn’t like is stagnant moisture. The first watering is carried out during budding, the next during flowering, and the last in autumn. In general, watch the weather; in rainy summers, bergenia does not need additional watering.
Badan does not like transplants; the plant feels great in one place for decades, however, it grows quickly and occupies an area not intended for it. That is, transplants are sometimes necessary. The procedure is carried out no more than once every 5 or 6 years, in September.
Diseases and pests
Bergenia is resistant to diseases and pests, but unfavorable conditions(excess moisture) there is a risk of fungal infections, such as ramulariasis. External signs diseases - brown spots with a reddish border appear on the upper side of the leaf, lesions on the underside become covered with a whitish coating, and the leaves dry out. For treatment, all affected parts should be removed, and the bush itself should be treated with a copper-containing preparation.
Among the pests, nematodes and leafhoppers are dangerous; the latter are not difficult to deal with ( possible ways we described the fight earlier), but with nematodes you will have to work hard. Dig up the bush and dip the rhizome in a strong solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes, then plant the bergenia in a new place, treat the old one with bioinsecticides and leave it empty for a year. Or sow it with marigolds.
In unfavorable years, bergenia is also attacked by snails and slugs - they make holes in the edges of the leaves. And since this evergreen, then such corrugated leaves go away in winter. And, in fact, after winter they “decorate” the entire composition, admire: 
Uses of bergenia
Bergenia is a leader in the content of tannins, which allows the plant to be used to increase the moisture resistance of products, tanning leather, tanning tarpaulins, gear and nets.
Tonic tea from bergenia is rich beneficial properties– hemostatic, antipyretic, antimicrobial and astringent. Tea can be stored for about 4 years. In Tibet, the drink is known as an aid in the treatment of rheumatism, kidney diseases, joints, gastrointestinal tract and tuberculosis.
Alcohol infusion(necessarily green, overwintered) leaves suppresses stress and increases performance.
The root of the thick-leaved bergenia is endowed with anti-inflammatory, astringent and antimicrobial properties. Preparations, decoctions, extracts and infusions from the root, which, by the way, are approved by scientific medicine, strengthen the walls of capillaries, lower blood pressure, decoctions are effective against dysentery and colitis, and are also used for rinsing the mouth with chronic inflammatory processes.
Long-term use of bergenia products can cause constipation. Tinctures should not be used by people with increased blood clotting, and decoctions from the roots are contraindicated for hypertension.
Garden bergenia in landscape design
The list of things that bergenia can be combined with in the garden is quite extensive, because it is decorative from early spring until autumn frosts. With his participation it is easy to create picturesque compositions in various options plantings - with trees, shrubs, flowers and wild herbs, there are a lot of creative opportunities open to you, use them to the fullest!
Various background trees are suitable garden forms and hybrids of larch, pine, maple, rowan and bird cherry. A good addition to the trees would be vines - actinidia or Chinese lemongrass. Companion shrubs include juniper, euonymus, rhododendron, bush cinquefoil, Kuril tea and comb.
When selecting companions, pay attention to those plants that are decorative throughout the season; neighbors should complement each other in terms of timing and range of flowering, create the most incredible landscape pictures. Plant bergenia in small solo groups. The foreground of the group can be decorated with bulbous ones. Place a group of various lilies, bathing lilies, irises or hazel grouse side by side. Is it worth talking about successful combination bergenia with brunnera and bluebells - everything is obvious here! The reviving moonflower will serve as a spectacular backdrop from spring to autumn.
Bergenia is often planted to strengthen slopes, as well as in rocky gardens and on alpine roller coaster, where the closest and most successful neighbors will be various onions, saxifrages, cuttings, ground cover phlox, alyssums, thymes, dendranthemums and sunflowers. This also includes periwinkles, primroses, anemones, adiantum and ferns.
Another good place for bergenia is the banks of reservoirs. But as we remember, bergenia is difficult to tolerate high humidity, therefore, in pursuit of beauty, do not sacrifice the plant, choose places with no stagnation groundwater. It is very good if there is an artificial pond in the garden. In such places, next to the bergenia, irises, marigolds, mountaineers and krasodnevs look good.
By the way, there are varieties with colored leaves, for example Solar Flare - there are bright green flashes against the background of the yellow leaf plate. The reverse side is still with purple. Even small curtains in the garden look very impressive. And the charming Lunar Clow bergenia bushes in spring are painted in 3 transitional colors - overwintered old leaves are dark green with purple, and young leaves are yellow with green: 
Isn't it a miracle? Just think about the number of advantages of bergenia - unpretentiousness, versatility, decorativeness, and so many benefits in the plant - it’s just a godsend! A great reason to have such an attractive guest in your garden. So we safely recommend growing a garden flower like bergenia - planting and caring for it in the open ground is not burdensome, and the pleasures are endless!