How to Grow Bergenia Plants in your Garden
Gardener's HQ Guide to Growing Siberian Tea and Elephant's Ears
Bergenia is a hardy perennial that flowers from the late spring until the early Summer.
It is also referred to by the names Siberian Tea, Elephant's Ears, Mongolian Tea, The Baden, and Pig Squeak.
The plant may grow up to 45 cm in size and bears small, clustered, trumpet shaped flowers of white or pink.
Siberian Tea is best used as an edging plant.
Bergenia cordifolia (Heartleaf Bergenia) photograph by Gravitat~on.
How to Grow Bergenia
When planting Bergenia outdoors it is best to sow out the seeds on the surface in the early spring
It is important to sow out Siberian tea and similar species before the last frost, as it requires this cold period for germination.
If you plan to grow Bergenia indoors first then the seeds should first be placed in moist soil, placed in a plastic bag, and refrigerated for two weeks before shifting to the light.
Growth of Bergenia should then continue at a temperature of 15 to 21 degrees Celsius.
It usually takes from one to six months for this garden plant to germinate.
Seedlings should then be transplanted outdoors into an area of full sunlight or a lightly shaded part of the garden.
They should be spaced out at a distance of 30 to 45 cm in moist soil, with an ideal a pH of between 6 and 7.
Bergenia crassifolia (Siberian Tea) by Eric Hunt.
Caring for Bergenia in the Garden
Bergenia should be lightly fertilized in the spring, and kept well watered.
The use of slug pellets is highly recommend and dead parts of the plant should be removed regularly.
Bergenia Growing and Care Guide
Common Names: Bergenia: Leather; Heartleaf; Purpurea; Superba; Autumn red. Siberian tea, Pig Squeak, Elephant’s ears, The Baden.Life Cycle: Hardy perennial.
Height: 12 to 20 inches (30 to 50 cm).
Native: Central Asia.
Family: Saxifragaceae.
Flowers: Late spring through to early summer.
Flower Details: Pink, white. Small. Cyme. Clustered. Trumpets.
Foliage: Evergreen. Leathery. Round, spoon-like. Green or Bronze, turn red or bronze in the autumn.
Sow Inside: Mix seeds in a moist growing medium, place in a freezer bag, then stratify by refrigeration for two weeks. Germination time: two weeks to six months. Temperature 60 to 70°F (15 to 21°C). Six weeks to two months before expected last frost. Transplant outdoors following the last frost.
Miscellaneous: Can tolerate extreme temperatures and large fluctuations.
I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Bergenia. You may also enjoy the following growing guides: How to grow Pimpinella and Saxifrage plants.
If you enjoy the information on this site, then you'll love my book: The Gardener's HQ Plant Growing Guide. Available for Kindle (MOBI), iPad (ePub) and as a PDF.
Genus Index B
