Bergenia x smithii

An old hybrid raised by Thomas Smith while he was working at Rodger, M’Clelland and Co. in the 1870s and early 1880s. It is a cross between B. purpurascens and B. cordifolia with medium sized, round, ovate, spoon-shaped, bright green, leathery leaves forming a neat, slowly spreading clump. Charles Nelson notes that 'the calyx is very small, smaller than B. purpurascens (the male parent) and spreading widely. The petals which are of a rich carmine, spread horizontally… the fine rose-lilac petals… spread like a star, as do the ten stamens.' There is no winter leaf colour.

The binomial B. x smithii was first published by Engler and Irmscher in Pflanzenreich IV 117. II (1919) 675 in recognition of Smith’s breeding of Bergenia. Very rare in cultivation nowadays but can be found growing in historic gardens and specialist collections. Material was generously shared with me from Brendan Sayers, of the Irish Garden Plant Society.