Coral Bells

Barbara Wagner, Erie County Master Gardener One of my favorite perennial plants has become a garden favorite - corals bells, scientific name heuchera. My favorite is a plant with small green leaves and an upright stalk of small tiny red flowers. But heuchera has been hybridized so that now the foliage is often the most engaging part.Heuchera, common name coral bells or alumroot, was given its scientific name in honor of Johann Heinrich von Heucher, a botanist, physician and plant expert at Wittenberg University in Germany.The plants are native to North America with over 55 species found from California to the Atlantic. Missouri Botanical Gardens discusses various species plants, many growing in the Rocky Mountains, some like Heuchera sanguinea in northern Mexico, New Mexico and Arizona, and Heuchera villosa native to the woodlands of Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee.In Ohio Heuchera americana commonly called alumroot is a native species. It has deep green foliage mottled with purple. The flower is yellow green and blooms in the spring. Flower spikes can reach 24-36 inches high.Heuchera are herbaceous perennials. They grow in full sun to part shade in well drained soil. The ivy shaped leaves grow in a clump with the tiny bell like flowers on a tall slender stem. Leaves come in a variety of sizes, some 1 ½-2 inches, some as big as 5 inches.In warmer climates the leaves will stay green all winter. During a colder winter, some of the leaves may die back. These should be removed in the early spring.Flowers can grow on stalks from 10 inches to 3 feet, and bloom from June to August. Deadheading and watering will keep the plants blooming all summer. The blooms make good cut flowers and can be dried for fall and winter arrangements.Heuchera do spread but are not hard to control. Older varieties can be divided and shared with friends or sold at plants sales. The National Gardening Association explains how plants can be propagated by leaf cuttings. Some of the new hybrid plants are patented and trademarked making it illegal to sell them or give them away without authorization.The hybrids were introduced in the 1980s. These are the beautiful foliage plants found in garden centers and box stores. Native species heuchera Americana, heuchera sanguinea, heuchera villosa, heuchera micanthra, and heuchera cylindrical often are used in hybridization of most modern plants.I recently visited a garden center to purchase some of the newer coral bells for my garden. All colors and sizes awaited me.Two had vibrant light green leaves, Electric lime with large 4-inch leaves, and Citronelle with smaller citrous yellow leaves. Both had white flowers spikes.Palace Purple had large 4-5 inch dark green leaves. The plant tag said the leaves would change to bronze in summer. Southern Comfort had huge 6-inch cinnamon peach leaves with white flowers; one called Caramel had similar leaves (the plant tag said they were olive) with pink flowers.The darkest were Plum Pudding, with plum purple leaves and stalks with white flowers, and Midnight Rose whose leaves were supposed to be black and would become mottled with cream with pink flowers.My small green leaved plants are flourishing with bright red flower stalks. The hummingbirds love them and they provide a bright red and green border in my perennial bed. My newer plants have 2-inch dusty green leaves with dark green veins and pink flowers. I am enjoying both. What an interesting plant to have in the garden.