In Search of The Perfect Plant

Heuchera 'Marmalade'

There’s something I call “The Perfect Plant.” It has colorful evergreen leaves—maybe variegated—blooms for an extended period of time, needs very little maintenance, only grows to be knee-high and does equally well in sun or shade. Unfortunately, “The Perfect Plant” isn’t quite a reality. Helping gardeners choose plants for their yards, I’m often approached with those criteria, and while there isn’t an exact match to fit the bill, there is a plant that comes close: heuchera. 

First, let me help you with pronunciation. I hate nothing more than going into a store and not being able to intelligently articulate what I’m looking for. While there are plenty of pronunciations that can be considered acceptable, you’ll sound smartest pronouncing the name “HEW-ker-a” or “HOO-ker-a.” Or, if you really feel uncomfortable, just call it by its common name: ‘coral bells.’

Now, if you’re unfamiliar with heuchera, you’ve probably seen it around and just didn’t know what it was. The leaves of the plant emerge directly from the crown—the top of the root mass—like leaves do on a hosta. Although there are a wide variety of leaf textures among heucheras, all types have a leaf shaped similarly to that of a common maple tree. 

So, how do heucheras come close to fitting the description of “The Perfect Plant?” First, heucheras come in nearly every color of the rainbow. Just five to ten years ago, you’d be lucky if you could walk into a nursery and find both green- and purple-leafed varieties. And even the purple could look washed-out. But recent breeding breakthroughs have produced an abundance of vividly-colored varieties like ‘Peach Flambé,’ an iridescent peachy-orange with hues of pink. ‘Obsidian’ grabs your eye with deep plum-purple leaves and ‘Marmalade’ will make you do a double-take when you see its tan-colored foliage with a near-purple underside. 

From oranges and purples to lime-green and two-tone variegated coloring, heucheras can fit any color palette you may have in your landscape. As for flowers, heucheras do bloom, but you likely won’t buy them for the flower. Heucheras are prized mostly for their foliage, and while varieties like ‘Paris’ have rich pink flowers all summer long, most varieties’ flowers are a pale cream or white.

Regarding maintenance, heucheras are about as easy-going as you could expect of a plant. Their foliage is evergreen, so you can enjoy the colorful leaves year-round. To keep the plants in my yard looking fresh, I prune the previous year’s leaves off after the worst chance of a deep freeze is past and I can see new buds developing—typically early March. 

If you’ve tried growing heucheras before and have found them to be hard to grow, it’s possible you planted them too deep. Heucheras need the crown of the plant to be free from any standing water, and especially if you have poorly-draining soil, they should be planted at least an inch above the existing grade of your flowerbed. 

Heuchera 'Lime Marmalade'

Finally, heucheras are incredibly versatile in the landscape—most varieties do well in sun or shade. Lighter-hued types like ‘Lime Marmalade’ can adapt to full sun but will do best with at least partial shade; similarly, those with purple leaves will have the best color in full sun. However, I’ve found heuchera to grow well in any amount of sun or shade around my yard. 

If you’ve never discovered the beauty that heucheras can bring to your landscape—or if it’s been several years since you tried to grow one—now is a great time to check out the incredible variety of colorful, vigorous plants that are available at Vander Giessen's. With so many sought-after characteristics, heuchera is hard to ignore—and it just might be what you’d call “The Perfect Plant.”