Coral Bells (Heuchera)
[HEW-ker-ah]

Evergreen Perennial Mounded
 

About Coral Bells

If there was a contest for the most versatile plant out there, Heuchera just might win. This plant can tolerate full shade to full sun, although it does best with at least four hours of sun daily, and can grow in almost any soil and moisture conditions (within reason - don’t plant the poor guy in a pond!). Heuchera’s foliage can range from an almost-lemon-yellow to an almost-black-purple, and its dainty bell-shaped flowers dance in the breeze over its dense and mounded crown. Heuchera makes a striking “middle row” plant in the garden but can also be found in a pot. 

Heuchera overwinters beautifully in the ground (it could be classified as *almost* evergreen) and only needs a light trim-back in the spring to remove winter-damaged foliage. Its flowers will dry on their stalks in late summer and actually look quite pretty, in a steampunk kind of way, but you can snip the stalks and enjoy a freshened-up, foliage-only plant for the rest of the season. 

A few favorites include ‘Caramel’ (light green to - you guessed it - caramel foliage), ‘Dolce Cherry Truffles’ (cherry red to deep red ruffled foliage), ‘Lime Marmalade’ (yellow-green ruffled foliage), ‘Frosted Violet’ (prominent veins, violet purple foliage with a silver overcast), ‘Green Spice’ (purple veins, bright green foliage with a silver overcast), ‘Obsidian’ (very dark purple foliage), and ‘Palace Purple’ (dark green to purple to burgundy foliage). Heuchera makes a stunning mass planting or you can mix-and-match to achieve bright splashes of contrast throughout the garden.

Pros

  • Extremely low maintenance
  • Can grow in most soil and moisture conditions
  • Foliage overwinters
  • Only needs a quick cut-back to look its best come spring
  • No pruning needed (but can prune old flower stalks)

Cons

  • Needs extra water in extremely hot weather
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 12 - 18 inches tall. 12 - 18 inches wide.
Growth Rate Moderate
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Zones 3a - 8b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Colorful Foliage, Container, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Edging, Evergreen, Fall Color, Filler, For a Shady Spot, Full Sun, Good for Accents, Good for Beginners, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rock Garden, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Low Maintenance, Most Popular, Mounded, Native to North America, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Shade Tolerant, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Salt, Well-Drained Soil, Woodland Garden
Animals That Use It

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Rankings
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Pair heuchera with ornamental grasses, lacy-leaved plants (like fringed-leaf bleeding heart or thread-leaf coreopsis), irises to highlight their form. Heuchera are often planted with other shade-tolerant plants like Hosta, ferns, Astilbe, Dicentra, and Hellebores. Heuchera come in so many colors that many color combinations are possible. Dark purple leaves can make yellow flowers glow, while the lighter colored Heuchera highlight more "normal" green foliage.

Photos of This with...

Variegated Sweet Flag, Columbine - Origami Blue & White, Ghost Fern, Winter Glow Pigsqueak, Boxwood, Beverly Bronze Chrysanthemum, Transvaal Daisy, Hellebore, Plantain Lily, Calendiva Kalanchoa, Snake Plant, Kiwi Fern Coleus, Mint Mocha Coleus, Wasabi Coleus, Hummelo Alpine Betony, Cole Canadian Hemlock, Late Tulip,
 

Coral Bells Available Now

Obsidian Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Obsidian')
From $13.34

Coral Bells 'Lime Marmalade'
(Heuchera 'Lime Marmalade')
From $17.47

Coral Bells 'Peach Flambe'
(Heuchera 'Peach Flambe')
From $17.47

Coral Bells 'Caramel'
(Heuchera 'Caramel')
From $12.93

Coral Bells 'Palace Purple'
(Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple')
From $7.12

Foamy Bells 'Sweet Tea'
(Heucherella 'Sweet Tea')
From $16.78

Paris Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Paris')
From $12.93

Blackout Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Blackout')
From $89.01
Chatterbox Coral Bells
(Heuchera x brizoides 'Chatterbox')
From $11.58

Citronelle Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Citronelle')
From $89.01

Georgia Peach Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Georgia Peach')
From $16.78

Green Spice Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Green Spice')
From $13.44
Firefly Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Leuchtkafer' FIREFLY)
From $44.18

Midnight Rose Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Midnight Rose')
From $11.00

Plum Pudding Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Plum Pudding')
From $12.98

Purple Petticoats Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Purple Petticoats')
From $12.98

Alum Root
(Heuchera richardsonii)
From $19.25

Ruby Bells Coral Bells
(Heuchera sanguinea 'Ruby Bells')
From $58.41

Tiramisu Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Tiramisu')
From $89.01

Autumn Bride Hairy Alum Root
(Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride')
From $8.00

Electric Lime Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Electric Lime')
From $87.30

Carnival Watermelon Alumroot
(Heuchera x villosa 'Carnival Watermelon')
From $16.78

Dolce Silver Gumdrop Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Dolce Silver Gumdrop')
From $16.78

Grape Expectations Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Grape Expectations')
From $14.84

Primo Black Pearl Heuchera
(Heuchera 'Black Pearl')
From $108.99
Guacamole Heuchera
(Heuchera 'Guacamole')
From $13.19

Pistache Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Pistache')
From $16.78

Primo Wild Rose Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Wild Rose')
From $16.00

Dolce Cherry Truffle Coralbells
(Heuchera 'Dolce Cherry Truffles')
From $16.78

Dolce Wildberry Coralbells
(Heuchera 'Dolce Wildberry')
From $15.73

Primo Mahogany Monster Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Mahogany Monster')
From $108.99

Dolce Apple Twist Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Dolce Apple Twist')
From $17.47
Peachberry Ice Coralbells
(Heuchera 'Peachberry Ice')
From $108.99
Black Forest Cake Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Black Forest Cake')
From $13.68

Magma Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Magma')
From $90.90

Lucid Dreams Kaleidoscope Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Lucid Dreams Kaleidoscope')
From $13.44

Lucid Dreams Mysterious Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Lucid Dreams Mysterious')
From $13.44

Lucid Dreams Awakening Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Lucid Dreams Awakening')
From $13.44

Timeless Night Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Timeless Night')
From $89.01

Smoke and Mirrors Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Smoke and Mirrors')
From $13.68
Dressed Up Ball Gown Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Dressed Up Ball Gown')
From $16.78
Patina Alum Root
(Heuchera villosa 'Patina')
From $9.80

(Heuchera 'Pools of Purple')
From $17.47
Evergreen Forest Coral Bells
(Heuchera 'Evergreen Forest')
From $10.58

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Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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