It’s not surprising that Heucheras (coral bells) have become one of the most popular perennials in Northwest gardens. These hybrids of North American wildflowers are easy to grow, come in a dazzling array of colors, shapes and sizes, and combine beautifully with neighboring perennials and shrubs in mixed borders and container designs.
Not that long ago, the only the only Heuchera commonly available was H. sanquinia. This Southwest native has small green leaves, and is grown mainly for its blood red flowers that are highly attractive to hummingbirds. It wasn’t until 1986 when first coral bell H. micrantha var. diversifolia ‘Purple Palace’ with deep burgundy foliage showed up on nursery shelves. ‘Purple Palace’ was just the tip of the iceberg.
Every year an amazing number of new Heuchera hybrids featuring incredibly beautiful foliage become available.
Generally hardy to about -30 degrees, and best planted in morning sun or bright shade, varieties with darker colored leaves usually can handle sunnier conditions while those with golden or yellow leaves are best planted in shade to prevent sun scald. The most important requirement is well drained soil. Planted in clay, Heuchera usually succumb to root rot. Avoid wetting the foliage which can lead to rust, a fungus disease that begins with raised bumps on the leaf surface before turning the leaves brown and unsightly. If you’re having serious problems with rust, try growing the varieties that have proved to be immune to the disease Some of the best resistant ones are in the ‘Forever’ series, such as ‘Forever Purple’ and ‘Forever Red’ These large clump forming hybrids remain colorful year round and have remained rust free in Pacific Northwest gardens.
The biggest problem with Heuchera, is that after they’ve been in the ground for a number of years, some varieties form upright, bare stalks with leaves only at the top, making them look like ugly little palm trees. The best way to solve the problem is to cut the entire plant right down to within an eighth inch from the ground in early March.
Don’t panic when you see what your Heuchera looks like after you do this. Just make sure to work organic fertilizer into the soil around the plant, and keep the soil moist. Your Heuchera will grow back so beautifully, in only a few weeks it will look better than the day you bought it. By the way, plant those upright stems you cut off up to the leaves in a shady moist area. The entire stem will root and next spring you’ll have lots of new Heucheras ready to transplant.
Finally, if you’re wondering, as I was, if the less conspicuous flowers on the hybrids attract hummingbirds, I found out when I added a few bunches of the flower sprays in a bouquet I used as a centerpiece on our patio table. Despite the fact there were six of us seated around the table, the hummingbirds surprised us by feeding on the Heuchera flowers in the bouquet right between us as we dined. The only problem was that I was wearing a red sweater and one of the hummingbirds kept trying to stick its beak in my ear, which can be very frustrating when you’re trying to enjoy a brussels sprouts casserole!
——————————————————————————————————–
——————————————————————————————————-
KING 5’s New Day Northwest is Western Washington’s only local daytime talk show. Watch it weekdays at 11 a.m. PST on KING 5 TV and streaming live on #newdaynw
🢒 Follow New Day Northwest! 🢐
FACEBOOK 🢒
TWITTER 🢒
INSTAGRAM 🢒