For all plant lovers and gardeners, this blog is full of information. You may have heard about Heuchera in your life. Let’s learn all about Heuchera and its varieties. 

Heuchera – The Background:

Our world is full of plants and their many varieties. Despite all the advancements, we haven’t yet discovered half of the varieties of plants found on Earth. It may never be possible to learn about all of them. But what we can do is learn about those that are already around us and take advantage of planting them. One of the plants that you may have read about recently is Heuchera. The technical name may throw you off your game, but you have read about this plant.

Heuchera is a perennial plant that belongs to the Saxifragaceae family. Before we proceed and provide you with the details of Heuchera, let’s take a step back. Knowing about Perennial plants is essential if you are a gardener. Perennial plants are those that can live for more than two years. We know most plants bloom and produce fruits during spring and summer. Then, during Autumn and Winter, they die, and their leaves fall off. Sometimes, the plants get their life back and give fruits and flowers during the following year. However, after a two-year lifespan, they lose their ability to produce fruits. 

It is not financially suitable for a gardener to have a plant that produces fruits for only a couple of seasons. This process gives them a setback. But perennial plants can last more than two years, thus giving a full refund to the gardener for their hard work over the years. 

Heuchera – Coral Bells:

Heuchera is also a perennial plant in the Saxifragaceae family. It is commonly known as coral bells or alumroot. Coral bells are most commonly found in the northern region of the US. 

Huchera varieties exceed 37 in number and are easy to find in the US. Also, it is visibly easy to recognize coral bells. During the summer, the plant bears beautiful flowers. These flowers can be in vivid green, purple, and red colors. A fantastic aspect of coral bells is that they can also produce silver-colored flowers. These plants closely resemble different species of tiarellas. Some of the farmers and gardeners cross both species. The result produces unique foam-like flowers. The result of this cross is known as Huecherellas, which is not known to many gardeners. 

Coral bells are best known to grow in the shades. We’ll share a detailed view of how you can grow Heuchera varieties. Before we jump to the growing part of this plant, a few things are vital to learn beforehand to get the best results. 

How to Choose From Heuchera Varieties:

We know that a Heuchera is a perennial plant. Thus, if it seemingly dies in the winter, it will grow back its leaves and flower during the Spring season. When deciding about getting a Heuchera for your backyard, it is important to select the correct variety. 

Foliage Color:

The most critical and beautiful-looking part of the Heuchera plant is the foliage. The foliage part of this plant offers a wide range of color varieties. Before going to the other factors of the plant, decide the color you want in your garden. Heuchera plants are available in deep purple, black, pink, and maroon colors. You can also get these plants in burgundy, pewter, and silver-grey colors. Experts suggest that there are other colors available in coral blooms. Those colors are orange, peach, lime greens, and yellow. 

Leaf Color:

When it comes to the leaves of these plants, they have a contrasting green color shade. This contrast is also visible on the edges and the underside of the leaves. The leaves of the Heuchera plant are wavy in texture. In most regions, the plant keeps its green color, especially if you are living in a mild-temperature winter area. However, your plant will die off if you get extreme color in winter. But there is no need to worry, as Heuchera grows again in spring and summer. If your primary goal of growing the plant is to get greenery in winter, keep it a semi-shelter area. 

Color combination:

The color of the leaves complements the nearby areas. So, before selecting a plant, check the color of your garden and the background area. Thus, the leaves of Heuchera give the best results for your eyes. If you have a shady spot or flowers in the surrounding area that give off pastel shade, use silver-grey foliage. This silver-grey foliage will brighten the surrounding areas as well. 

Now, if you have bright and exotic blooms in the area where you intend to plant huechrea, your color choice will be different. Instead of using Silver grey, go for lime green, copper, or dark purple. These color combinations will complement the surrounding area. 

If you have a complementary garden, your color choice will be very different. In this situation, use unusual colors for your garden. The colors purple, peach, lime, or maroon are the best in the current situation. 

These details only focused on the leaves of Heuchera varieties. The flowers of these coral bells are the cherry on top of the cake that will compliment your garden more than you can imagine. These plants give delicate flowers that are not showy. The first instance when you get flowers in a Heuchera plant is during the early summer. You can enjoy the beauty of these flowers throughout the summer till the Autumn season. 

Growing Position of Heuchera:

While understanding the color combination was essential for selecting a plant from coral bell varieties, it is not enough. If we are still determining the size of full-grown coral bells, we can get into some problems. A situation may arise in your gardening period when your heuchera plant has overgrown the total desired area of the plant. This problem can hurt the plant. So, it is vital for a new gardener to know the exact size of the fully grown Heuchera. 

Coral bells are compact plants. When they are fully grown, the size can be 8–12 inches in width and height. This site shows you can plant them in containers and keep them in small areas. 

The best area to plant the coral bells is under the shade. This way, their bright leaves look valuable. The color of your Heuchera leaf is also important while selecting the exact area for its plantation. If you are getting a bright and dark leaf plant, keeping them under the Sunlight is better. A bright leaf plant can survive under Sunlight, and the process can also improve the color due to natural light. 

However, don’t put your pale Heuchera in Sunlight. Natural light will bleach the plant and make it less beautiful. Thus, keep the pale-colored plants under shade or a tree to get the best results. 

Buying Coral Bells:

Now that we have covered all the necessary aspects of planting coral bells, let’s jump to the next step. Before planting a plantation, you must buy a Heuchera from the market. These plants are ideally available in nurseries, garden centers, and on different websites. When you buy the plants, they will be available in 9-cm pots. The younger plants are available during the Spring season. You can get the mature plant in 2-liter pots during the summer and autumn. 

You can also get plug plants from different websites. However, these plug plants need extra care and attention in an indoor section of the house. After they have been cared for for a month, you can move them to your garden. 

Planting the Heuchera:

You have completed all the necessary steps and also bought a plant from the market. Now it is time to plant these coral bells. There are different steps involved while you are planting the coral bells. 

Ideal Position:

You can plant them in large containers and in your garden as well. Ensure you select a partial shade area of the house for coral bells. Refer to our ‘Growing position’ section for details regarding the color and plantation area for coral bells. 

Check your soil before planting the Heuchera. It should be well-drained and not soggy. If the conditions above the soil are damp, this is not ideal for planting. The damp situation will rot your plant. So, if the drainage in your garden is not perfect, select a container to plant your Heuchera. 

Keep the plants under the trees to give them a perfect growing condition. It is also better to keep these plants in front of other flowers. This way, they give the best results and also complement the plants in their background. 

When to Plant Heuchera:

A new gardener must select the ideal time to plant the coral bells. Make sure that your soil is warm and moist. This way, the coral bells can settle quickly in the soil. The best time to plan them is during the spring and autumn as well. If your ground isn’t frozen during the winters or dried in the summer, you can also plant them in those seasons. Coral bells find it hard to grow and establish during dry conditions. Thus, if you plant them during the summer, keep watering them to maintain a balance in their environment. 

How to Plant Heuchera:

Now, dig the soil and add a bucket of organic matter. It is better to add organic matter to the whole planting area instead of the dug hole. This spreading of the organic matter will help the plant’s roots grow further. Thus, the situation will strengthen the coral bells. Now plant them in the dug hole at the same position where they are at the nursery. This similar height will help the plant become familiar with its surroundings. 

Taking Care of Heuchera:

Your job isn’t complete after planting the coral bells. Now is the time to care for the plants so they can thrive according to their nature. There are a few steps that we need to complete while caring for the plants. 

Watering:

Water the newly planted huchera well in the early days so they can settle in the ground. After a while, water them regularly for the first season when the plant is younger. As you water the plant, keep the leaves dry so they don’t get any disease. When your plant is mature enough, water it only if you have dry weather for a few days. During the hot season, water this plant each day. Also, if the Heuchera is in a container, they will need extra water due to the low space. 

Mulching :

Mulching is a process where you add organic matter to the soil during the spring season. This addition of organic matter will help the plant maintain moisture during the Summer season. Experts recommend leaving some space from the crown of the plant while mulching. 

Fertilizer:

If you have planted the heuchera around the border, you won’t need to fertilize it. But if you want to give the plant another layer of strength, add general-purpose fertilizers. Before applying the fertilizer, read the instructions on the pack. 

By following this process, your plant will continue to be better for the rest of its life. 

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FAQs:

Following are a few commonly asked questions about the heuchera plant. 

1. What are Heuchera plants best known for?

These plants have the best-looking foliage. They are also available in a large variety and many colors. 

2. Do these plants need Sunlight?

These plants do need Sunlight, but keep them under the shade if you have a hotter climate

3: What is the alternate name of Heuchera?

The Heuchera plant is also known as Coral bells or alumroot. 

4: Can Heuchera grow in Containers?

Yes, this plant can grow in the containers but needs extra care and attention. 

Final Thoughts:

We learned a lot about coral bells today. If you want to get a Heuchera, there are only a few months left during the Summer season. They will only need extra care in the early days, and the results will be great during the next Season.