I am trying to find out the difference between Bergenia Winterglut, elephant ears, and Bergemia pig squeak. The landscape plan I am following calls for the pig squeak, but I could only find elephant ears. Is Winterglut something special?
I think that the confusion arises from the fact that ‘pig squeak’ is a common name for Bergenia, as is ‘elephant ears,’ while ‘Winterglut’ is part of a cultivar name (Bergenia cordifolia ‘Winterglut’).
Bergemia with an “m” in the middle is just a typographical error.
‘Winterglut’ is also known as ‘Winter Glow.’ See the excerpt from Greer Gardens Nursery catalog below:
BERGENIA – PIG SQUEAK – (-40 F, USDA Zones 3-8) Bergenia are tolerant of a wide variety of conditions but soil that is too rich can cause soft foliage. Providing the plant with poorer soil conditions and some exposure, you will enhance the winter color. This plant prefers some shade, but will thrive in full sun if soil is deep and moist enough. Not for south Florida or the Gulf Coast.
30047 ‘Bressingham Ruby’ – The mound of rounded, deep green leaves are up to 8″ long. The foliage is maroon on the underside, and will turn beet red in the winter. In the spring, flowers of a very intense red are borne on nodding cymes. Will get 1′ tall.
30965 ‘Bressingham White’ – Has large, dark green foliage which is adorned by blooms that start out light pink and then fade to a pure white. They reach 12-15” in height and blooms appear in the spring.
31673 ciliata – (-20 F, USDA Zones 5-8) Large (12”) fuzzy, rounded leaves and white flowers in early spring make this deciduous Chinese species a standout. Part shade and moisture retentive soil. Low growing to 10”.
cordifolia – (-30 F, USDA Zones 4-8)
31562 ‘Eroica’ – Dark purple flowers in early spring. Foliage changes from light green to deep copper in fall, then a brownish red after first frost.
31035 ‘Winter Glow’ – Deep reddish pink flowers bloom in spring, held above evergreen leaves. In the winter the leaves turn deep red. Will be 1′ in height.
From Thimble Farms in British Columbia:
Bergenia `Winterglut’ Ht.45cm. Z2. Thick clusters of florescent red flowers and dark green foliage. Fantastic red fall highlights
You may find this information from the website of a Seattle area gardener, Paghat’s Garden, and this additional page, of interest. Excerpt:
“A good plant nearly impossible to kill is Bergenia, named for the 18th Century German botanist Karl August von Bergen. It is called Elephant Ears because it has giant round or heart-shaped leaves. My grandparents called Bergenias the Elephant Plant, because if an elephant stomped on it, it wouldn’t die. But I notice the Sunset Guide only calls it by its scientific name, giving it no common name at all, so Elephant Ears may be somewhat a regional name, & Elephant Plant just the name our family used without authority.
“We get good red winter colors on our B. cordifolia ‘Winterglut’ & B. cordifolia ‘Abendglocken.’ The first photo at the top of this page shows both of these when they were first stuck into the hillside as tiny starts. In that early-April 2002 photo, the ‘Abendglocken’ on the left has already turned from red back to green & is starting to bloom, showing a glint of color in its buds. But ‘Winterglut’ on the right still shows a chocolaty-colored leaf, which began to green shortly after photographed.”