Heucheras, also known as coral roots and coral bells, are evergreen perennials that make interesting additions to flower beds and are prized for their impressive variety of foliage shapes, colors, and patterns.
manyperennialIt also produces small, beautiful summer flowers arranged on upright stalks that are very popular with hummingbirds and pollinators, including bees and butterflies.
Originally, heucheras were known for their flowers and were widely grown as cut flowers from the 1930s to the 1960s. Then, as more varieties with attractive leaves were developed, heucheras quickly became more popular as flowering plants. . Then interest returned to varieties with good flowers and leaves, and now growers are beginning to develop varieties with flowers as the main characteristic. Now there are so many varieties, and every year there are more new ones, that it is very difficult to choose.
Popular varieties of heuchera for leaves and flowers
An important class of heuchera species developed for their attractive foliage and showy flowers. These coral watches are perfect forsmall backyardTwo different displays of the same plant double the impact of the same garden space.
1. "Kangkang"
(Image credit: Anna Free/Shutterstock)
- resource:move
- Applies to:Window frames and other tight spaces
- flores:small, green, best cut
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:11 inches
These are compact coral bells with beautiful ruffled silver leaves with bronze veins that turn greener in summer to reveal red leaves between the ruffles. The leaves are said to be like a cancan dance skirt.
2. 'Lemongrass'
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- resource:move
- Applies to:Lighten shadow edges or container features
- flores:small, creamy, usually best removed
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:14 inches
This variety of heuchera is characterized by dense, smooth, overlapping leaves that come in a beautiful deep sour yellow, although it tends more towards yellowish-green in some shades. The bottom is silver.
Plants of this variety with dark leaves even in dark soil or someCoverage Type.
3. "Delta Dawn"
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- resource:move
- Applies to:Container and Roadside Signs
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:14 inches
The round yellow leaves are tinged with red in the center, evident in spring and summer, and have a network of red veins, especially in summer.
The cream-colored flowers are larger than those of some varieties but are incongruous with the foliage. In the south, they grow best inshady garden.
It is a good choicegarden edgeAlong paths and riverbanks, where you can admire its changing foliage.'Delta Dawn' disponible en Nature Hills.
4. 'Ebony and Ivory'
(Image credit: Plant World/Alamy Stock Photos)
- resource:leaves and flowers
- Applies to:cut flowers and leaves
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:20in (in flower)
This old and popular favorite features extraordinarily long irregularly toothed leaves in dark green bronze with a silvery, pinkish-purple center below. They color especially well in cold conditions.
The prolific cream-colored flowers contrast beautifully and last long after cutting. "E and I" would be a nice addition to anywhite garden ideas.
5. "Green Spice"
(Image credit: Anna Gratys/Shutterstock)
- resource:move
- Applies to:Shade, poor soil, beautiful foliage.
- flores:White flower
- Alto:10 inches
The small green leaves are blood red, particularly conspicuous in cold weather, and are covered in a silver sheen. It's almost twice as wide as it is tall when ripe, so it works well.ground cover plants.
White flowers are best cut or left in place.Attracts bees to the garden.
'Green Spice' available from Nature Hills.
6. "Lemon Jam"
(Image credit: Malikmali/Shutterstock)
- resource:leaves and flowers
- Applies to:Well-drained soil, in clumps as ground cover.
- flores:white flowers on tall stems
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:16 inches
Densely crinkled, greyish-yellow leaves create a bold and vibrant foliage pile. This variety of heuchera is vigorous and maintains good color throughout the year.
Also especially good as a container specimen - in terracotta pots, like this 'worn'Old Style Casserole from Goodman and Wife on Amazon.
7. "Midnight Rose"
(Image credit: Anna Gratys/Shutterstock)
- resource:move
- Applies to:Mixing container, specimen roadside, ground cover, or border
- cold resistance:USDA 4
- Alto:20 inches
It has a rare foliage pattern of glossy, almost black leaves with pink spots. As the season progresses, the foliage becomes larger, with a shade of pink closer to white.
The flowers are quite insignificant and must be removed.
'Midnight Rose' available from Nature Hills.
8. "Obsidian"
(Image Source: Future)
- resource:move
- Applies to:Planting blue or white spring scillas.
- flores:Better cut creamy florets
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:12 inches
The broad, round, lobed leaves, up to 4 inches in diameter, are nearly black with a reddish tinge and retain their primary color throughout the year. This is a hard-growing, reliable variety that can be added to anyflower bed.
"Obsidian" is available at Walmart.
9. "Carnaval"
(Image credit: Botany Vision/Alamy Stock Photos)
- resource:leaves and flowers
- Applies to:Cut in containers or as the only heuchera in a small backyard
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:20 inches
One of the most prolific of all heuchera varieties, slender but full spikes of pink flowers that grow gracefully above the foliage on dark stalks.
The round green leaves have small lobes and silvery spots around the edges.
10. "Mint Spice"
(Image credit: Botany Vision/Alamy Stock Photos)
- resource:leaves and flowers
- Applies to:container, front edge and cut
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:20 inches
Silvery-green leaves with slightly silvery rounded lobes and marked with purple veins. Reddish-salmon flowers hang low on the leaves.
For best results when growing this heuchera variety, it is best not to expose it to the sun all day. It also makes a goodcut garden flowers.
"Peppermint Spice" disponible en Nature Hills.
(Image credit: Moolkum/Shutterstock)
- resource:leaves and flowers
- Applies to:Container sample, front boundary feature
- flores:Tall and straight, the rosebuds bloom white
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:14 inches
New spring leaves are silvery-crimson, swirly, and metallic silver with slate-grey veining and a deep reddish-purple underneath.
This is one of the bestdrought tolerant plantsIf you live in a dry climate, your backyard planting plans are worth considering.
'Silver Scrolls' available at Nature Hills.
12. “Tachibanami”
(Image source: Plantagogo.com)
- resource:move.
- Applies to:container
- flores:Small, white, best cut
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:10 inches
- Also try:'Frilly' (dramatic frilly leaves)
This variety of heuchera forms a compact mound with leafy, wavy leaves that unfurl into beige and gold, then orange-red and crimson, changing from month to month.
Grows in full sun to bring out the best foliage color. It may lose some or all of its leaves during cold winters.
13. "Tomás"
(Image source: Plantagogo.com)
- resource:like flowers
- Applies to:Attractive border plants.
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:2 feet (in flower)
and if you goPlanning a Cut Flower Garden, which is a good choice. It is also popular with bees due to its large flowers.
The extraordinarily large creamy-yellow trumpet-shaped flowers bloom from green buds on stout upright stems. The green leaves are purple with a silver haze.
14. Series "Eternity"
(Image source: Walters Gardens, Inc)
- resource:leaves and flowers
- Applies to:Floral display, fresh or dry cut
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:18 inches
Five varieties, all basically similar, have a long season of long-stemmed pale pink flowers that mature to a deep pinkish-red, but each variety has a different leaf colour.'Berry Timeless' (Silver Leaf Green Vein), disponible en Nature Hills, stand out.
15. "Mora"
(Image credit: blickwinkel/Alamy Stock Photos)
- resource:move
- Applies to:edge, sample container
- cold resistance:USDA Z4
- Alto:14 inches
The glossy, fan-shaped leaves are charcoal black, retaining a rich, deep purple color most of the year.
Add it to containers for a nice contrast to light-colored perennials, or use it to decorate flower beds for a striking look.
existcontainer garden, Heuchera varieties that combine flower and foliage colors are especially valuable, whether grown as a mix in large containers, hanging baskets, or as specimens in decorative pots. Heuchera varieties with showy foliage also stand out in contrast to other plants.living wall.
FAQs
How many varieties of coral bells are there? ›
Heuchera, also known as Coral Bells, have many different-looking plants to choose from within the genus. Many are acclimated across different climate zones, giving you plenty of options no matter where you plan to grow them.
What is the easiest Heuchera to grow? ›One of the easiest perennials to grow, coral bells are virtually carefree. Here are the basics: Hardy in USDA zones 4-9, coral bells are tolerant of a wide range of light conditions, poor soil, heat, cold, humidity and drought. Foliage comes in nearly every color imaginable, from silver to nearly black.
Are Heuchera and coral bells the same thing? ›Heucheras, also known as coral bells or alum root, are herbaceous shade perennials native to America known primarily for their beautiful, robust foliage.
What are the different colors of coral bells? ›What Colors Do Coral Bells Come In? Modern heuchera leaf colors include green, chartreuse, yellow, peach, pinkish-red, copper and purple, and every shade in between. Coral bell leaves are often patterned with contrasting leaf veins in silver, or in a darker shade than the main leaf color.
Which coral bells have pink flowers? ›Many gardeners consider Peppermint Spice the perfect coral bell cultivar, with its gorgeous rose-pink blossoms—what many think of when they picture heucheras—and silvery-green foliage. Expect flowers to open in summer and plants to grow 8-10 inches tall.
Do hummingbirds like coral bells? ›Coral bells are a favorite of hummingbirds, but they only bloom once a season, and many gardeners cut them off, to put the energy into the plant's leaves. If you want hummers to visit you, let them bloom. There are many great perennials that will keep your hummingbirds happy.
What is the purple popular Heuchera? ›Heuchera 'Forever Purple' (Coral Bells)
A magnificent feature plant, Heuchera 'Forever Purple' is a compact, clump-forming, evergreen perennial, exhibiting deep purple leaves with fluted edges. They retain their colour all year round, and provide a dramatic backdrop to any border or garden.
Coral bells are best planted in late fall or early spring and will grow at a moderate pace, making them a great option for woodlands, rock gardens, containers, borders, and ground covers. But they are short-lived perennials; unless divided regularly, they will die out in a few years. Heuchera spp.
Which Heuchera is most sun tolerant? ›Sun-Tolerant Hostas: Generally, green and chartreuse varieties tolerate more sun than bluish hostas or ones with a lot of white variegation. Sun-Tolerant Heucheras: Generally green or darker-colored heucheras tolerate sun well, though others are being bred with more sun-tolerance.
What looks good next to coral bells? ›Coral bells are well suited companion plants as well. Consider pairing them with Japanese painted ferns, hostas, astilbe or lungwort.
Do you cut back coral bells in the fall? ›
Whether coral bells are evergreen or not in your zone, we don't suggest cutting them back in late fall. Why? Their foliage protects their crown through the winter. All you have to do for another year of vibrant color is tidy the plant up in spring!
Are there any coral bells that like sun? ›Coral bells were traditionally thought of as shade lovers. Heuchera villosa, however, is a species that is native to southeastern U.S. It is an adaptable species that thrives in full sun to part shade, grows happily in soils ranging from slightly wet to slightly dry and is unfazed by high humidity.
What do coral bells look like in winter? ›The striking foliage can be green, burgundy, silver, brown, or purple, and the plants can retain their foliage throughout the winter in some areas. As long as the plant is covered in winter, Coral Bells can survive the cold conditions and come back in the spring.
Should coral bells be deadheaded? ›To keep coral bells blooming even longer, make sure to deadhead the spent ones. This may encourage the plants to produce a second wave of flowers. Some varieties will also bloom sporadically throughout the growing season.
Can Heuchera live in full shade? ›CORAL BELLS (Heuchera)
Here's a plant that will grow in any amount of sunlight, from full sun to full shade, as long as you water it. Ideally, coral bells prefer partial shade and average moisture levels.
| Genus Name | Heuchera |
|---|---|
| Flower Color | Green, Pink, Red, White |
| Foliage Color | Chartreuse/Gold, Gray/Silver, Purple/Burgundy |
| Season Features | Colorful Fall Foliage, Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom, Winter Interest |
| Special Features | Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance |
Coral Bells can be used as a ground cover, and in a few years, the plant can spread out and quickly fill in a garden bed. Plant Coral Bells 18 to 24 inches apart from other plants like hostas and buildings, so the plants have room to grow.
What are the coral bells that stay small? ›pulchra is a dwarf coral bells subspecies that blooms in early summer with a stunning display of fuchsia- pink flowers held over compact rosettes of hairy foliage. In the rock garden, this perennial wildflower enjoys a north or northeast-facing crevice.