Heuchera, Coral Bells - Flowering Perennials

Heuchera, known as coral bells or coral flower are evergreen and semi-evergreen woodland edge plants mainly from the Rocky Mountains.

The name belies their main features which for many types is their colored often variegated foliage which makes good ground cover. The flowers may be coral colored or any shade through pink and white to almost yellow depending on the variety. 

The foliage is usually low and prostrate on the ground with flowers borne on tall spikes that give a delightful "smoky" appearance particularly as their colors are often shown to good advantage against the often contrasting leaf color.

The flowers are good for cutting and are attractive to bees.

The plants have woody roots and there is tendency with time for the roots to push the plants upwards and almost out of the soil. A mulch helps keep the plants happy, though eventually they benefit from being lifted and replanted, if this is carried out in the fall, then the plants can be divided at the same time.