Elephant's Ears

Elephant's Ears 'Bressingham White' (Bergenia 'Bressingham White') is the evergreen groundcover for shade that most gardens are missing. Broad, leathery leaves form a clump about 40cm tall and 60cm wide, and in spring stout stems carry heads of white flowers that age to soft pink. It holds cover all year, which is rare among shade perennials.

Why you'll love it

• Evergreen, not seasonal. The leaves stay through winter, so a shaded bed keeps structure when the perennials around it have died back.
• White spring flowers that fade to pink. Held clear above the foliage on short red tinted stems, and worked steadily by bees.
• Tougher than it looks. Frost hardy, tolerant of poor soil, and drought tolerant once the clump has settled in.
• Almost no maintenance. No cutting back, no staking. Pull off a tired leaf now and then and remove the spent flower stems.

Where it works best

Groundcover in shade. Plant 40cm apart, roughly six per square metre, under deciduous trees or along a shaded fence line where lawn will not grow.

Borders and edging. The bold leaf shape makes a clean, low edge to a path, and it contrasts well with ferns and fine leaved grasses.

Pots and rockeries. A single clump suits a 300mm pot on a shaded verandah, and it fills gaps between rocks where soil is shallow.

Growing Elephant's Ears in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade to full shade, with morning sun accepted. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is properly frost hardy. It is not suited to the humid subtropics or tropics, where the crowns rot in a wet summer.

Soil. Most soils, including poor ground, as long as water moves through. Dig compost into the bed at planting and mulch lightly, keeping mulch off the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then it copes with dry spells, though the leaves look better with occasional deep watering. Feed with a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring.

Pruning. Remove damaged leaves at the base and cut spent flower stems off after the display. Lift and divide congested clumps every three or four years to keep them vigorous.

What to expect when it arrives

Three sizes are grown: tube stock, which is currently on backorder, 140mm pots in packs of ten, and 200mm pots in packs of six. Tubes are the value option for a large shaded area. The 140mm and 200mm plants are a season ahead and fill in noticeably faster.

Broad soft leaves can crease in transit and one or two may need removing on arrival. Plant, water in, and expect the clump to spread quietly through its first year before flowering properly in its second spring. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read about the best groundcover plants for shade.
• Browse the wider groundcover range.
• See companions in plants for full shade.
• Compare options for partly shaded beds.

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

Six at the recommended 40cm spacing. The clumps meet in two seasons, and closer planting only crowds them and encourages rot in the centre.

Will it flower in deep shade?

It grows well in full shade but flowers more freely with a few hours of morning sun. In heavy shade expect good foliage and a lighter spring display.

Do snails eat it?

They do. Snails and slugs chew notches into the soft new leaves, most noticeably in a wet spring. Bait or trap around the clumps as the new growth appears.

Is it evergreen everywhere?

Yes, in the climates it suits. In very cold gardens the leaves take on bronze and burgundy tints through winter, then green up again in spring.