Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' (Looking Glass brunnera) care

Light

Picture the indirect light an east-facing window gives mid-morning — that's the brightness brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' grows fastest in. Full to partial shade. The heavily silvered leaves scorch readily, so shelter from direct sun, especially hot afternoon sun. Cool, dappled or northern light keeps the silver foliage clean and unblemished. You'll know it's right when new leaves come out the same size and colour as the established ones. Smaller, paler new leaves = move closer to the window.

Watering

Aim for when the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 5-7 days for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass', but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Keep soil reliably moist; the pale foliage scorches quickly when dry. Water deeply in dry spells and during establishment. Mulch to conserve moisture and keep roots cool.

Soil and pot

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' grows best in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil. Fertile, organically rich, evenly moist but free-draining soil. Tolerant of varied pH. Amend with leaf mould or compost; avoid dry or compacted sites that trigger leaf scorch. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' sits happiest at around Ambient outdoor humidity and -1 to 24°C active growth (hardy to about -40°C dormant) (30 to 75°F active growth (hardy to about -40°F dormant)). A hardy outdoor perennial with no special humidity requirement. Prefers cool, moist woodland conditions; consistent soil moisture matters far more than air humidity. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' sparingly. Light feeder. A spring top-dressing of compost or one application of balanced slow-release fertiliser suffices. No heavy feeding is needed for this woodland groundcover. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Sun scorch — The near-white leaves brown badly in sun or dry soil — more so than greener cultivars. Site in full or dappled shade and keep moist; remove scorched leaves to flush new growth.
• Wilting in dry heat — Pale foliage loses moisture fast and wilts. Maintain steady soil moisture and mulch heavily.
• Slug and snail damage — Slugs and snails graze tender new leaves in damp shade. Use barriers or wildlife-safe controls.
• Crown rot — Waterlogged soil rots the crown over winter. Plant in free-draining, humus-rich ground.

Propagation

Propagate by division or root cuttings in early spring or autumn — this variegated sport does not come true from seed and seedlings revert. Replant divisions into cool, moist, enriched soil. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' is mildly toxic to pets. Brunnera macrophylla is not individually listed in the ASPCA Toxic/Non-Toxic Plants database, so its status is unconfirmed. As a borage-family (Boraginaceae) plant it may contain low levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Treat with caution and verify with a vet if ingested; do not assume it is pet-safe. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' watering schedule
• Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' light requirements
• Best soil mix for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass'
• Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' fertilizing guide
• When to repot brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass'
• How to propagate brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass'
• Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' growth rate & size
• Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' cold hardiness
• Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' temperature & humidity
• Is brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' toxic to cats?
• Is brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' toxic to dogs?
• Getting brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' qualifies for 4 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' is also commonly called Looking Glass brunnera.

• Peace lily care — light, water and common problems
• Bird of paradise care — light, water and common problems
• Hoya care — light, water and common problems
• All 2464 plant care guides in the Growli library