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Coral Bells (Heuchera
CORAL BELLS
(Heuchera)
By Jan Cashman
Want a small perennial whose flowers attract bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies? Plant coral bells, whose scientific name is heuchera! Coral bells are perennial flowers with attractive foliage whose leaves come in many colors. They have small bell-shaped flowers. The strong stems of the flowers stand up above the plant; the plants’ bright pink or red flowers last well as cut flowers in bouquets. Cut back spent flower stalks to encourage rebloom. I have heucheras planted in my perennial shade garden more for their colorful leaves whose colors range from golden yellow and lime green to dark burgundy to silvery colors than for their flowers. Because of their colorful leaves and compact size, heuchera also work well in planters as long as they have good drainage. In the fall, you should transplant them into the ground because, left in planters, they may winter-kill. The roots that are above ground in planters may get too cold.
Planting and caring for coral bells:
Coral bells are an easy perennial plant to grow. They are tolerant of a wide range of soils, heat, and drought conditions. During a mild winter with good snow cover, the leaves of coral bells might stay evergreen. But trim any tattered, damaged foliage off in the spring.
Jan Cashman has operated Cashman Nursery in Bozeman with her husband, Jerry, since 1975.
1) Coral bells do best here when planted in a shady or semi-shady spot. Varieties with lightercolored leaves need more shade to protect them from sun-scorch. 2) They like rich, well-drained soil but also tolerate rocky or clay soils.
3) As with most perennial flowers, they prefer to be kept evenly moist but will tolerate some dryness. Do not plant them in a spot that will be soggy and wet over the winter months. 4) In early spring, I fertilize the base of each plant with a small amount of slow-release granular fertilizer. For planters planted with coral bells, I fertilize with water soluble fertilizer such as Miracle Gro Bloom Booster every 2 weeks all season.
Plant heucheras in groups of three or five. I like to plant colors of heucheras that contrast, like Marmalade and Palace Purple, near each other. Heucheras look good combined with other shade-loving plants such as bleeding heart, ferns, and hostas.
A few heuchera favorites:
• Lime Marmalade - ruffly lime green leaves.
• Purple Palace - Mahogany purple foliage with white flowers
• Ruby Bells - Grown for its abundance of red-pink flowers, green leaves with dark green veins
• Snow Angel - Green and white variegated leaves. • Pink Fizz-Soft green leaves with purple veins, light pink flowers
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