Last Updated on June 7, 2022 by Real Men Sow
Heucheras are shade-loving plants that are native to North American woodlands. Planting heuchera plants will result in attractive summer flowers that also comes in many colors, including red, purple, and vivid green. Heucheras are excellent ground cover plants and they can also be used in winter pot displays. They are members of the saxifrage plant family, which are also known for their coral bells and alumroot.
How Does Heaucheras Look Like
Heucheras can be related to tiarellas (also known as foamflower), which have a different shape leaf and flowers that look like foamflower. They have been crossed with tiarellas by many breeders to create hybrids called ‘heucherellas’. Heucherellas are brightly colored. They can be grown in the shade, and they are great as ground cover plants. They can be grown in hanging baskets and some have a trailing habit.
Planting Heuchera
Heucheras thrive in shade and if you’re growing them in pots, plant them in moist but rich soil. You can feed them fortnightly in summer with a tomato feed.
Can You Plant Heuchera In Full Sun?
Keep them out of direct sunlight. In autumn, trim the leaves as they can get tatty. You should inspect pot-grown heucheras for vine weevil and grubs. They are especially susceptible.
Where should I plant Heuchera?
Heucheras need dappled shade to thrive, but some plants do better with more sunlight. Remember to always read the label of what you’ve bought. They will not tolerate too much shade. Heucheras flourish in well-drained soil. Pots are a good option if you have clay soil.
How To Plant Heucheras
Plant heucheras in May through September at the same height as they were growing in the pot. Firm the root ball well and water well. Use a loam-based soil for pots. To ensure that the compost is fully covered, it’s a good idea for pot-grown Heucheras to be covered with a thick layer of gravel. This helps conserve moisture and prevents vine weevils laying eggs.
Caring for Heucheras
Your heucheras should be kept out of direct sunlight. Pot-grown heucheras should be watered regularly, but the water must drain from the pot. You can feed them twice a week with tomato food in summer. In autumn, trim the leaves and take out any dead ones. Heuchera leaves will begin to fall after five years. You can revive the plant by lifting it and dividing it. You can use the divisions to propagate new plants.
Preparing Heucheras For Winter
Heucheras have short roots which can lead to ‘frost heaving’, wherein the act of forcing plants out of soil by developing ice occurs. The root ball would be standing high above the soil, causing it to dry out and eventually kill the plant. To prevent this, add a thick mulch layer around the base of your plant each autumn.
Prevent Pests On Heucheras
Heucheras face the greatest problem from vine weevils. The adults eat the leaves’ edges and the grubs eat their roots. You can check your pot-grown Heucheras by gently tugging at their stems. If they don’t come off easily, empty the pot. Then remove any grubs and leave them for the birds. Wash the roots thoroughly to remove any eggs or grubs. Then, plant them again. As this will help to prevent vine weevils laying eggs, you can add a thick layer of gravel over the compost.
Best Heucheras To Plant
- Mint Julep – Has bright lime-green leaves that mature to mint-green with prominent silver veining. In summer, they produce white flowers on short stems.
- Lime Marmalade – Slightly more sensitive to sun than other varieties with bright lime green leaves contrast well with white summer flowers.
- Sashay – Has deep cut, ruffled darkgreen leaves with attractive, burgundy pink underneath.
- Spellbound – Has stunning, silver-purple foliage that develops a more silvery sheen when grown in shade. In summer, white flowers are borne on tall stems.
- Berry Smoothie – Has dramatic berry-red leaves that deepen to purple
- Delta Dawn – Plum-colored leaves with strikingly yellow margins It blooms from May through June.
- Plum Royale – This cultivar produces deep purple leaves, and flowers appear in May and June.
- Tiramisu – These orange-pink, gold-edged Heuchera flowers mature to golden yellow with red streaks. Autumn brings out deeper colors due to the cooler temperatures. In summer, white flowers are borne on shorter stems. They are great for pots and dappled shade.
- Georgia Peach – Large, round silver-peach leaves. It can grow in either sun or shade, and it bears white flowers during the summer. You can grow them in pots and at the front of mixed herbaceous borders.
- Chocolate Ruffles – Beautiful chocolate-colored leaves with a rich, burgundy underneath. On tall stems, large numbers of creamy white flowers emerge in summer. Chocolate Ruffles is more drought-tolerant than other Heucheras. This makes it an excellent choice for growing under trees or shrubs in dry shade.
Also Try Planting These Heucheras
- Brass Lantern – A semi-evergreen, it has golden leaves that turn chocolate brown in winter. In the early summer, white flowers are visible.
- Golden Zebra – An unusual heucherella with golden, feathery leaves and red central markings.
- Solar Power – Has striking, chocolate-brown leaves that have a lime-green margin. These plants form a dense dome and are excellent ground cover.
