Coral bells
Heuchera offers stunning foliage
HEUCHERA, ALSO KNOWN AS coral bells, is a popular plant best known for its stunning foliage. The leaves offer a wide variety of colors and can be patterned, wavy, ruffled or smooth. Colors are most vibrant in the spring and fall, as summer heat may cause the colors to become softer or duller.
Your planting environment should guide your heuchera selection. While they are best known for growing in the shade, some varieties thrive in full sun with adequate moisture. As a general rule, lighter-colored leaves like chartreuse, yellow and peach need more shade, while darker-leaved varieties in black and purple can handle more sun.
Overall, heuchera prefer moist but well drained soil. However, varieties with fuzzy leaves prefer less water and are more heat-tolerant than those with shiny leaves. Avoid soggy or wet soils, particularly in the winter. Avoid planting near walkways or driveways, where winter snow shoveling might bury the plants.
Not all varieties bloom well, and they are often grown simply for the foliage. Those that do bloom can have red, coral pink or white flowers. The strong flowers make a good cut flower, in addition to attracting pollinators. The best flowering occurs when heuchera get four to six hours of sunlight daily.
Heuchera are quite versatile and can be evergreen in mild winters. They can be grown in containers, in groups or as a border. Lighter colors can brighten up a shady spot, and because of their strong color, you can repeat them in a variety of sites within one garden for color repetition. This helps your garden flow beautifully from one area to the next.
