The Heuchera – Coral Bells – is a perennial foliage plant, with literally hundreds of varieties available to choose from.
Heuchera, at home in containers, rock gardens and borders, are ideal for ground cover and make wonderful edging plants.
Container grown Heucheras will benefit from feeding with water-soluble fertiliser, to replenish nutrients that leech from the soil.
Their beautiful small bell-shaped flowers appear in Spring or early summer on tall stems, being a lovely cut flower.
The flowers are rich in nectar, attracting hummingbirds, or the hummingbird moth and butterflies into the garden.
Their leaves are rounded, lobed, hairy, and evergreen or semi-evergreen, depending on the climate.
Having traditional green-leaved coral bells, there are new varieties of Heuchera, with leaves in shades of purple, rose, lime green, gold, and a plethora of variegations in between.
Heucheras do best in partial shade, especially in hotter climates, such as Spain. The colour can wash out in full sun, and too much heat and light can cause leaves to scorch.
If you do grow in full sun, give them extra water as their shallow roots will need extra moisture during hot, sunny days.
If planted in damp shade, they can be prone to fungus diseases. If your plants start having problems, it’s best to move them to a drier site.
Easy to maintain by cutting back the entire flower stalk, after flowering, enabling the plant’s energy to grow more leaves.
Heuchera are a short-lived perennial, so divide plants in early Spring or early autumn, every three to five years, to keep them healthy.
If the leaves get a bit weary looking, especially after winter, cut them back and new growth should fill in quickly.
Fertiliser Heucheras in the Spring, with a 1/2-inch layer of compost, or a light amount of slow-release fertiliser.
