Brunnera is a perennial grown for its blue blooms, which open in summer and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 3 through 8, shrugs off deer and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Zones
3-8
pH Range
6-8
Sun
Shade
Days to Maturity
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Score Brunnera on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether brunnera actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score brunnera against your land's real conditions.
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What Brunnera is
Brunnera grows as a perennial and reaches around a foot and a half at maturity. It blooms blue in summer. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
How to grow Brunnera
Brunnera grows in USDA zones 3 through 8. Brunnera does best in shade — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 6 to 8, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
3-8
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
6 - 8
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Shade
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
1.5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant brunnera in shade with at least 2 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Brunnera prefers pH 6 to 8 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut brunnera blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — brunnera isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Brunnera offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Brunnera thrives
Brunnera is hardy across USDA zones 3 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 3–8·Where Brunnera growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Brunnera can grow in these states:
See if Brunnera will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether brunnera actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Brunnera in my zone?
Brunnera grows in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Brunnera?
Brunnera is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Brunnera need?
Brunnera is shade-tolerant — it gets by on as little as 2 hours of direct sun, so it earns a place most vegetables can't use. A north-facing strip or the ground under a leafy canopy is right where it belongs. A Growable Ground report shows which corners of your land stay shaded through the day, turning those dim spots into planting spots.
What soil does Brunnera need?
Brunnera prefers soil pH 6 to 8, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Brunnera attract pollinators?
Yes — brunnera's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Brunnera safe for pets?
Brunnera is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)