Bergenia crassifolia

Common name: Siberian tea, Mongolian tea, leather bergenia, winter-blooming bergenia, heartleaf bergenia, elephant

Description:

The Bergenia crassifolia or Bergenia cordifolia , also known as the winter hydrangea, appear from the end of January to the beginning of spring, depending on the region, in small clusters of pink flowers.

Unlike the hydrangea, it is a perennial with powerful rhizomes, very resistant since it comes from Siberia and Central Asia, where the climate is very extreme.

It is a plant that belongs to the Saxifragaceae Family.

The leaves are evergreen, large and quite hard, bright green, with very marked ribs, arising from the rhizome, where its long petioles at the base take on a reddish tone.

There are varieties where the leaves are purple; in others, the green turns coppery due to the cold in winter.

In general, bergenias form rounded bushes of about 30 to 50 centimeters in height, being able to develop a kind of trunk with age.

In mid-winter it begins to bear clusters of bell-shaped flowers, usually pink, although some varieties can bear magenta, carmine, purple or white flowers. Being able to reflower in autumn.

Care:

It is a plant that prefers semi-shade exposure, especially in warmer regions where the sun shines too strongly.

It grows best in calcareous, deep, fresh soils rich in organic matter, so it is advisable to add composted fertilizers during planting.

These contributions can be repeated annually, in spring or autumn, to maintain the levels of organic matter in the plantation area.

It resists dry soils and lack of water poorly, so irrigation must be moderate, but without flooding, since it can cause rotting of the rhizome.

This plant can be grown in the ground or in a pot, being sensitive to both excess and lack of irrigation. There are pots that have a deposit that accumulates the excess irrigation water as a reserve so that the plant can take advantage of it later. They are ideal for when we have to be absent and cannot take care of our plants.

The bergenia does not require great care. It is enough for it to cut the dead leaves and past flowers at the base so that it continues to bloom until summer, although it is a mere aesthetic matter. However, snails and slugs find its leaves and stems very appetizing, so keep them away.

Multiplication:

It is done by dividing the plant, being the best times of the year in autumn or spring, as well as to multiply the specimens by means of rhizome segments provided with some bud with leaves.

Uses:



It is perfect in rockeries, borders and as a ground cover. Although it also lives well in pots and planters, trying not to get too much sun, because the substrate of these dries out before and can stress the plant.