The Primrose Path - Heuchera Page 1

HEUCHERA—The coralbells and alumroots are an American genus with handsome clumps of evergreen basal foliage and graceful spikes of small bell-like flowers in late spring to late summer. The taller types can be very effective in large groupings, which in bloom have a misty, ethereal quality. The smaller types are best used in raised beds, rock gardens, or containers and have a subtle, refined beauty shared by few other plants. Some heucheras have foliage that is red to purple and may be marked with silver; this is most pronounced during the cool months of the year and may fade somewhat in the heat of summer. The newer selections and hybrids are spectacular foliage plants, easily the equal of any other perennial in this regard. The best of the new varieties are worth growing for their flowers, as well. In general heucheras want light shade to part sun (the foliage of most forms will burn in mid-summer in full, hot sun, especially if the soil is dry) and well-drained soil.

Most of our varieties are based ultimately on the hybrid ‘Montrose Ruby,’ a cross between H. americana ‘Dale’s Strain’ and H. villosa ‘Palace Purple’ produced by Montrose Nursery in the 1980s, on the one hand, and our own crosses between the garden H. brizoides and H. pubescens, a large-flowered eastern native, on the other. ‘Montrose Ruby’ has contributed wonderful burgundy coloration and ‘Dale’s Strain’ silvery foliage and vigor. H. brizoides has given showy flower colors and H. pubescens large flower size and drought and cold tolerance. One of our hybrid series, the Petites, has been developed using two small western montane species, H. hallii and H. pulchella, crossed with larger burgundy and silver leaved forms. Read more about Heuchera on our Featured Plants pages. Suggestions for use follow the discussions in our book.

	'Coral Bouquet' - This is our hybrid between the western H. cylindrica and the garden H. brizoides. This has probably the largest, showiest flowers of any heuchera on the market. They are shrimp pink and borne in full cattail-shaped inflorescences. The green leaves have some silver patterning. ‘Coral Bouquet’ will do better with nearly full sun and especially good drainage and air circulation.18-24”. Best for rock garden or raised bed use.
	'Frosted Violet' (PP#15,085) - This striking introduction combines the vigor and habit of the H. villosa types with the leaf coloration of the silvered forms like ‘Silver Scrolls.’ The new foliage is a wonderful pink-violet that we have not seen in any other form. The winter foliage turns a dark bluish-violet. The flowers are like pink seed pearls and are displayed from late spring to late summer.This has always been one of the the most admired heuchera in our display gardens. Foliage to about 12”, flowers to about 30”. There is an excellent description of this plant on the Garden Splendor website. This includes a discussion with David Wilson on the radio program The Paul Parent Garden Club. Best for perennial border use.
	'Harmonic Convergence' (PP#11,111) - This hybrid achieves the combination of boldly-patterned bronze and silver foliage with 18” loose spikes of frilly pink bell flowers produced over a long period in spring and early summer. It is truly a harmonic convergence of desirable traits in a heuchera. ‘Harmonic Convergence’ has received an excellent review by Allen Armitage based on performance at the University of Georgia test garden. (Greenhouse Grower, September 2001). This plant is a Blooms Selection and benefits from the promotion that the Blooms Program gives to its plants. Best for perennial border use.
	'Hearts on Fire' (PP#15,320) – ‘Hearts on Fire’ makes a tight clump of ruffled leaves that are silver against a red background. There are white flowers in spring on erect, 24” stems. When grown in a container the foliage makes an especially good dense mound to about 8”. This won Best of Show at the North American Rock Garden Society 2001 plant show. Best for container, raised bed, or rock garden use.
	’Jade Gloss’ (PP#13,137) - This variety has glossy, highly silvered leaves with bronze veining and large white flowers from pink buds in the spring. ‘Jade Gloss’ is a heavy-blooming variety with sturdy, erect flower stems to 18”. The silver-leaved heucheras can be combined to good effect with ferns like painted fern, Athyrium niponicum f. pictum, maidenhair, Adiantum pedatum, and autumn fern, Dryopteris erythrosora. Best for containers and raised beds.
	‘Midnight Burgundy’ (PP#15,358) – ‘Midnight Burgundy’ is an improved form of ‘Midnight Claret,’ which we are replacing. It is more vigorous and slightly larger; it propagates more readily. The leaves are the same very dark purple, but the silver markings are a little more extensive. The flowers are small and cream colored. Foliage about 8" tall; flowers 24". Best for container and raised bed use.
	Petite series - These are miniature plants derived from crosses between dwarf alpine forms and the large, bronze-foliaged types. One year old plants form compact mounds of rounded foliage 6-8” wide and bear showy flowers on 10-12” stalks. Our plants do best in bright light but not baking sun and keep the tightest habit and best coloration in lean, gritty soil. These plants are unexcelled for container or rock garden use. 'Petite Marbled Burgundy' (PP#11,059) - Bronze leaves with strong silver markings, very showy light pink flowers on 12” stalks.
	'Petite Pearl Fairy' (PP#11,058) – Small bronze leaves marbled with silver, medium pink flowers on 10” stalks. The plant in the photo is grown under garden conditions of lean soil and full sun.