Brunnera 'Jack Frost' vs lungwort
Two silver-leaved shade plants with blue spring flowers, from the same family, and often confused. 'Jack Frost' brunnera has heart-shaped leaves frosted silver all over, with green veins, and flowers like forget-me-nots. Lungwort has long, pointed leaves spotted with silver, and flowers a few weeks earlier, in clusters that open pink and turn blue. Both want moist shade; lungwort mildews if it dries out.
 Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' |  LungwortPulmonaria saccharata | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 16 in tall, 18 in wide | 12 in tall, 18 in wide |
| Plant | 18 in apart | 18 in apart |
| Zones | 3 to 8 | 3 to 8 |
| Light | Part shade to shade | Part shade to shade |
| Soil | Evenly moist, rich fertility | Evenly moist, rich fertility |
| Flowers | Late April to late May; blue | Early April to early May; blue, pink, white |
| Leaves | Bold, herbaceous | Medium, semi-evergreen |
| Job in a bed | Edging | Edging |
| Pets | No toxicity recorded | No toxicity recorded |
| Deer | Resistant | Not listed as resistant |
| Native | No | No |
| Spread | Low risk | Low risk |
Rows where they differ are marked. Flowering times are for zone 5.
Which to choose
- Choose Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost' for deer country and more wildlife.
Can they grow together?
Yes: they grow in the same conditions. What lungwort brings beside Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost': in flower together for three weeks, from late April; medium leaves against its bold ones; happy in the same moist soil. They share part shade and shade and zones 3 to 8.
Read more: all about Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost', and all about lungwort, each with a bed the planner designed around it.