Green Fingers: Heuchera: The changing face of a legend

Dec 18 2008

In the 1980’s, a lush foliage plant appeared that was to change the face of gardening tradition – its name was ‘Palace Purple’.


“The plant that launched a thousand Heuchera”, as it became known, ‘Palace Purple’ took the world by storm. Never before had a humble North American perennial caused such a stir, with a unanimous shift of interest from flower to foliage.


Renowned for its rich foliage colour, rather than flowers, ‘Palace Purple’ was raised from wild-collected seed by Brian Halliwell, curator of the herbaceous and alpine collections at Kew, and named to commemorate the original royal palace built in 1631, long before the species was introduced to the UK.


Until the 1980’s, gardeners from both sides of the Atlantic grew Heuchera (or Coral Bells as they were nicknamed), for their airy sprays of dainty white, pink or coral red flowers and not their attractively marbled foliage. However, developments simultaneously across the ocean produced speckled ‘Snow Storm’, a hybrid of Heuchera sanguinea spied by American Dan Heims growing in an Oregon garden, that began a breeding programme that is amazingly still running to this day.


As the genetic foundations of over 150 frilled, ruffled, mottled and frosted hybrids, these two noteworthy plants changed the face of the humble Heuchera, captivating millions with their year-round garden-worthiness and lasting winter leaves.


Trials were held at RHS Wisley for three years, which involved judging in all seasons, including winter – with plants supplied from Britain, Belgium, Holland and the USA. Despite flooding in autumn, winter and spring and an imported soil-born fungal infection, many cultivars impressed the judges with 14 receiving coveted Awards of Garden Merit.


Judged on their foliage colour, habit, vigour, length of blooming and criteria of winter interest, many caught the eye – least of all for their versatility and possibilities as winter container plants.


Purple-leaved forms always mix well with white, pink and purple flowers – crocus, cyclamen, violas, primroses and pansies, while the rich, leafy amber-orange and peach shades add warming spice to winter pots, baskets and tubs; partnering apricot-blotch, red or purple-faced pansies, evergreen Nandina and Phormium.


Native to the Western United States of America; from Alaska to California – Heuchera can be found growing from lowland forests to the open, high-altitude grassland mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Lightly shaded, rich, moist but well-drained soil conditions suit them most, with a more demanding regular maintenance regime required than many herbaceous perennials. However, many gardeners feel that because most hybrids have so much to offer; a little extra effort is well worthwhile.


Left to their own devices, in the garden Heuchera can become woody – so divide clumps every three to four years to prevent this and supply adequate moisture to ensure good, lasting growth. Deadheading extends the flowering season and pinching out the blooms of cultivars with small, drab flowers ensures that new, brightly coloured foliage is constantly produced.


Leaf colours can vary throughout the season, becoming intensified when plants are growing strongly, but always remaining bright and highly ornamental. The underlining ‘silvering’ in hybrids such as, ‘Plum Pudding’, ‘Pewter Moon’ and ‘Regina’ border on aluminium when growing well, while the intensity of the rich, ruby ‘red’ that made ‘Palace Purple’ famous, has been surpassed by ‘Purple Petticoats’, ‘Chocolate Veil’ and ‘Blackbird’. Many cultivars have survived extreme winter cold; especially those bred in Eastern Holland, while the lasting blooms of such plants as H. sanguinea ‘Alba’ are surprisingly frost hardy, making them perfect for late autumn and winter arrangements.


Paler ‘mint’ greens, fresh ‘limes’ and caustic yellows, add a sharp top note to the assembly of foliage – neatly covering all tastes in a vibrant collection. Sample ‘Mint Frost’, ‘Green Spice’ and ‘ Key Lime Pie’ for a mouth-watering accompaniment. Or search out textured ‘Chocolate Ruffles’ and ‘Purple Petticoats’ for rouched splendour.


Recently, plants bearing both attractive foliage and resplendent flowers have emerged – surely a taster that in the world of the Heuchera, the best is still yet to come.



IN THE GARDEN THIS WEEK…


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