Photo by L.A. Jackson
Heuchera—also called coral bells or alum root—is a native plant that caught the eyes of European botanists exploring the New World wilds in the 1600s, and it didn’t take long for this cutie from the Colonies to grace gardens across The Big Pond.
Heuchera in its original form was interesting but not a visual knockout, so it remained a sideshow for centuries. However, in 1991, there was a revolution in its evolution when the cultivar Palace Purple, with unique, dark, smoldering foliage, was named the Perennial Plant Association’s Plant of the Year. This not only turned the heads of gardeners but also plant breeders eager to develop and market fancier heucheras.
Today, the once-plain heuchera is a Cinderella success story, bringing many elegant hues to the garden ball, including improved purples, screaming limes, delicate reds and ornate coppers. There are even cultivars that sport ruffled foliage with deep leaf serrations, while others have veins etched in deep green, crimson or purple.
But wait, there’s more. Heucheras are also known for flaunting vertical clusters of small, bell-shaped flowers ranging in color from white to pink to red that are irresistible to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Heucheras are low-growing perennials that reach around 12 inches tall, not counting their bloom spikes, and, depending on the cultivar, can fan out 12 to 24 inches wide. Several clustered together create an attractive groundcover in a perennial border, while a single specimen can help make a mixed planter special.
Placement can be a bit tricky with heucheras because some are less sun-tolerant than others, so do your homework on the selections you bring home. In general, a location that receives morning sun but light shade in the afternoon will please these fancy plants.
Heucheras are cold-hardy in South Carolina, but they aren’t mucky-soil hardy, meaning root rot can be a problem (especially in the winter) if the growing ground doesn’t drain well. A raised bed, rock garden, container or well-worked, heavily amended site are all solid solutions to soggy soil.
While heucheras can be perennial pleasures in your garden, it is not a bad idea to reinvigorate the plants every three to four years by dividing them. I usually do this deed in early autumn, and my dependable heucheras have always rebounded from the interruption.
May in the garden
• If you are a dedicated seed slinger who gets cross-eyed trying to garden-start the teeny tiny seeds of such edibles and ornamentals as oregano, dill, foxglove, poppy, lettuce or onions, using the basic formula of a small pinch of seeds to a tablespoon of fine sand, put a mix of it in an old salt shaker and then shake, shake, shake the plants-to-be into prepared beds.
• Disappointed in the past by mouth-puckering bitter cucumbers from the garden? Mulch the plants heavily and keep them on a regular watering schedule. Also, cukes don’t store well on the vine, so pick early and pick often.
Tip of the month
The blooms of tropical water lilies and lotuses are nice additions to any backyard pond, but as lovely as these plants can be, they are real pigs when it comes to fertilizer. The easiest way to feed their needs—and assure maximum bloom production in the summer—is to use time-release, specifically formulated fertilizer tablets that are pushed into the soil of the plants’ pots. These tablets can usually be found at local garden centers, but if your search comes up empty, they are easy online finds.
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com