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Overview
Heuchera is a low growing evergreen perennial with deeply lobed bright green foliage above which clusters of small red bell shaped flowers hang in panicles, suspended on thin stalks.
It makes a colourful and delicate display in the border throughout spring and early summer.
They go well with Hosta, Astilebe and Geranium, making an interesting ground cover with the added attraction of delicate, overhead flowers.
Varieties include:
"Chocolate Ruffles" - has chocolate brown/purple leaves that have deeply ruffled leaves.
"Sugar Plum" with metallic, purple foliage
"Green Spice" with sharply contrasting purple veins on green leaves.
Soil: Any well drained soils, though it does prefer alkaline to acid - preferably sandy but with some added humus to retain some moisture.
Choose a sunny location though a few hours a day of shade will be well tolerated - especially in hotter climates where the scorching afternoon sun can be deleterious.
Maintenance: Needs little attention - but remove dead flower heads and divide clumps every few years.
A slow release, balanced fertiliser every three to four months will ensure they are at their best.
Diseases: Slugs, snails and aphids can bother them from time to time, as can fungal attacks like grey mould.
Other Species: 55 species in all of these woodland groundcovers though there are many hybrids, including:-
Heuchera americana - American alumroot
Heuchera elegans - urnflower alumroot
Heuchera glabra - alpine alumroot
Heuchera hirsutissima - shaggy-haired alumroot
Heuchera maxima - island alumroot
Heuchera micrantha - crevice alumroot
Heuchera parviflora - littleflower alumroot
Heuchera sanguinea - coral bells
Comments: Named after a German botanist - Johan Heinrich von Heucher.
Author: Bob Saunders.