Heucheras are shade-loving plants, native to the woodlands of North America. Grown for their foliage, their leaves come in a huge range of colours from red, purple, vivid green and even silver, and they bear attractive flowers in summer, too. Heucheras make excellent ground cover plants, and work well in winter pot displays. Members of the saxifrage family, heucheras are also known as coral bells and alumroot.
Most heucheras require dappled shade to grow well, although some do best with a little more sun. Always check the label. Avoid deep shade as this is too much for them. Heucheras thrive in well-drained soil. If you have heavy clay, grow your heucheras in pots.
Plant heucheras from May to September, at the same depth they were growing in their pot, firm well around the rootball and water well. In pots, use a loam-based compost. It’s a good idea to add a thick layer of gravel around pot-grown heucheras so the compost is completely covered. This not only conserves moisture but also prevents vine weevils from laying their eggs.
Heuchera ‘Black Beauty’: Very dark glossy ruffled leaves, topped with dainty ivory flowers.
