Soil & potting mix

Best soil for Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' (Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass')

Also called Looking Glass brunnera.

More about brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass'

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' soil at a glance

Best mix	Moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil
Light	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)
Ideal temperature	-1 to 24°C active growth (hardy to about -40°C dormant) (30 to 75°F active growth (hardy to about -40°F dormant))
Watering	When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 5-7 days

About Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass'

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' · also called Looking Glass brunnera · flowering

A dazzling sport of 'Jack Frost' with almost entirely silver, metallic heart-shaped leaves showing only faint green veining. Sprays of sky-blue forget-me-not flowers rise above the shimmering foliage in spring. This clump-forming shade perennial brightens dark woodland corners like a mirror, but its near-white leaves are more prone to sun scorch than greener types.

Preferred mix: Moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil

Watch for — 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.

Why brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' needs this mix

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' flowers hardest in a rich but free-draining loam — fed enough to fuel the display, open enough that the roots never waterlog.

Flowering is expensive for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass': producing buds, blooms and seed draws heavily on nutrients and steady moisture, so the soil has to keep delivering all season.
A loam-based mix holds nutrients and water far more evenly than a light peat mix, which means a longer, more reliable flowering period.
It still needs sharp drainage — most flowering plants resent cold, wet feet far more than they resent being a little lean.

For the full picture on what makes up a good mix, see our guide to the main types of soil and potting media — it explains why each ingredient above behaves the way it does.

What goes wrong with the wrong mix

The wrong soil is one of the most common reasons brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' struggles, and the damage often shows up weeks later as a watering problem. For this species specifically:

A thin, hungry or sandy mix gives brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' weak growth and few, short-lived flowers — it simply runs out of fuel.
A heavy, badly drained soil rots the roots or crown, often over a wet winter, and you lose the plant before it ever flowers again.
Over-rich, high-nitrogen mixes can push lush leaf at the expense of flowers — balance, not excess, is the aim.

Either starving brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' in a thin mix or drowning it in a heavy, badly drained one. It wants the rich-but-free-draining middle, plus a flowering (higher-potassium) feed in season.

pH — does it matter for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass'?

Most flowering plants, including brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass', do well around pH 6.0-7.0. A cheap soil test is worth it outdoors; one notable exception is any acid-lover (such as some hydrangeas), where pH directly changes flower colour.

If you want to check or adjust it, the soil pH guide walks through testing and the safe ways to nudge a mix more acidic or more alkaline.

DIY mix vs a bagged one

A quality bagged compost works for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' in pots if you add grit and a flowering feed. In beds, improving the existing soil with compost and ensuring drainage beats any bag.

Drainage and the pot

Free drainage protects the roots and especially the crown over winter — raised beds, grit in the planting hole and never a waterlogged spot. Containers must have a clear drainage hole.

For perennials, refresh the top layer and feed each spring rather than disturbing the roots; for container displays, start with fresh rich mix each season. When the time comes, our repotting guide for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' covers the timing and technique step by step.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' soil — frequently asked questions

What is the best soil mix for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass'?

3 parts good loam or quality peat-free compost : 1 part well-rotted compost or leaf mould : 1 part grit or perlite. Flowering is expensive for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass': producing buds, blooms and seed draws heavily on nutrients and steady moisture, so the soil has to keep delivering all season.

Can I use normal potting soil for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass'?

A thin, hungry or sandy mix gives brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' weak growth and few, short-lived flowers — it simply runs out of fuel. A quality bagged compost works for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' in pots if you add grit and a flowering feed. In beds, improving the existing soil with compost and ensuring drainage beats any bag.

Does brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass' need a special pH?

Should I buy a bagged mix or make my own for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass'?

How often should I refresh the soil for brunnera macrophylla 'looking glass'?

For perennials, refresh the top layer and feed each spring rather than disturbing the roots; for container displays, start with fresh rich mix each season. Free drainage protects the roots and especially the crown over winter — raised beds, grit in the planting hole and never a waterlogged spot. Containers must have a clear drainage hole.