Heuchera

Botanical/Latin
   Heuchera

Pronunciation
   Hew-ker-ah

Common Name
   Coral bells or Alumroot

Hardiness zone range
   3 - 9

General Comments
Sturdy, native American plants with broad, scalloped leaves and upright, slender, flowering stems carrying masses of dainty, little, bell-shaped blossoms. Two distinct types are available: the familiar old fashioned coral bells with soft green foliage and myriads of little bells in white, pink, and red shades, and the newer, colorful foliaged forms with purple, bronze, and marbled leaves.

Uses
The attractive foliage and airy spikes of flowers are useful almost anywhere in the garden. Their clump forming habit and low mounding shape mean they are frequently used towards the front of beds and borders, as edging along paths, walls, or fences, or on raised beds and sloping banks. When planted as drifts of ground cover, they form spreading leafy clumps with a long season of color and interest. In milder areas, they will remain evergreen, and even in colder districts, they will retain their foliage longer than most. In hot summer climates, a lightly shaded spot is ideal; they are useful in beds on the shady side of buildings, around patios, and high profile areas like beds at the front door. Once established, they show a good degree of drought tolerance, and will cope with the challenges of dry shade for short periods. They also make excellent container plants (see Splendor Suggestions for more detail).

Light Preference
Sun to partial shade

Culture
Reliable and easy to grow, they perform best in loamy, well drained soils that are reasonably fertile and have the capacity of retaining moisture in hot summer weather. This can be enhanced by adding compost or other humus media at planting time and mulching. When the clumps become crowded and begin to lose vigor, the woody rootstocks should be dug up, divided, and replanted with the woody parts buried about an inch or so beneath the surface. A light dressing with a well balanced fertilizer in spring also helps to keep them healthy and growing well. After flowering, trim off the dead heads and any old leaves; this will encourage fresh growth and renewed flowering.

Background
The genus is named after Johann Heinrich von Heucher, a German botanist and professor of medicine. Over 50 species exist, all native to North America.

The common name, Coral bells, refers to the red flowers of H.sanguinea and Alumroot to the roots of H. americana, which were dried and ground into a powder by Indians to treat wounds. Early settlers in Kentucky and the Allegheny mountains copied this and used them to treat external wounds, sores, and ulcers.

Splendor Suggestions
They make excellent permanent container plants. They can be grown in almost any type of container as long as it has a generous drainage hole and free draining compost. Terracotta pots (or modern, very realistic, plastic look-a-likes), window boxes, or other suitable planters can be positioned on shady parts of decks, patios, balconies, or even by the front door to make attractive plantings.

Foliage types blend especially well with other perennials, and the ones with the exquisite little flowers can show them off nearer to eye level.

We find them to be remarkably hardy, regularly over-wintering outdoors in Zone 6.The soil mass will freeze, so make sure your container is frost proof and try to use larger sizes; the bigger the size, the better (larger soil volume means less temperature fluctuation). One of our correspondents reports that a pot of Heuchera `Palace Purple' has continually graced an outside deck for almost four years.

Companion Plants
In sunny spots, try them with Nepetas, Gypsophila, Hemerocallis, Erigerons, and ornamental Grasses. They combine nicely with many plants, so depending on the cultural and light preferences, exciting associations can be created.

In shadier spots, try them with Campanulas and Veronicas -the white `Icicle', pink 'Minuet', and the cool blues of 'Goodness Grows' or 'Sunny Border Blue' are great. The blue forms of Hosta and the silvery leaves of Lamiums make excellent foliage partners.