Head over Heals for Heuchera and Heucherella
I am a self-confessed plant junkie. So to satisfy my urge, one of my favorite things to do is to visit nurseries and find new plants or cultivars that I have never seen before. As a landscape designer, it’s the best way to keep up to date on what’s new in the plant world…and it sure beats sitting and the computer and searching through Google images.
This past week I spent a few days buying plants for a handful of landscape installations that we have coming up. And as always, I was inspired and gushing with plant lust for the new cultivars that I found.
I have special weakness for Heucheras and their close relatives Heucherellas (a hybrid cross of Tiarella and Heuchera). I personally believe that every garden should have one or the other, or both.
Heucheras and Heucherellas are such a great all year round plants. They come in a plethora of colors, leaf patterns and shapes, are semi-evergreen and get panicles of small bell-shaped white, pink, or red flowers which attract hummingbirds.
The darker colored Heucheras like Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ can take full sun, white the lighter shades, like Heuchera ‘Key Lime’ will do best in part to full shade.
Heuchera ‘Obsidian’
Heucheras and Heucherellas like well-draining soil and do fabulously well packed tightly in containers. In fact, I like them best in containers since they can’t be beat for year round foliage color and interest.
Heuchera ‘Key Lime Pie’
It’s the one plant(s) that I can’t help myself from buying when I stumble upon a new cultivar. And I can’t just buy one, I have to buy at least two. With Heucheras and Heucherellas new cultivars come and go quickly so I am compelled to grab a couple for fear that I won’t find that cultivar again.
Heuchera ‘Solar Eclipse’
At one nursery in particular I was overwhelmed by all the new Heucheras and Heucherellas. Like a kid in a candy store I just stood there for a moment taking in all the colors and then went and grabbed my camera, which I always carry with me for such occasions.
Heuchera ‘Electra’
Below are a few new ones that really got my heart pounding and that got to home with me. I also just love the names, some of which get me humming and some that make my mouth water.
Heucherella ‘Buttered Rum’
Heuchera ‘Delta Dawn’ (yeah, like the song)
Heuchera ‘Rio’ (another great song)
Heuchera ‘Kassandra’
Heuchera ‘Cracked Ice’
Heuchera ‘Carnival Watermelon’
Heuchera ‘Berry Marmalade’
Heuchera ‘Ginger Snap’
Heuchera ‘Georgia Plum’
Heuchera ‘Creole Night’
Heuchera ‘Fire Chief’
And a few others that have been around for a while but are still worth mentioning.
Heucherella ‘Solar Power’
Heuchera villosa ‘Caramel’
Heuchera sanguiniea ‘Snow Angel’
Heuchera ‘Georgia Peach’
Heuchera ‘Crimson Curls’
Oh, there are so many more that I could mention and probably even more that will be coming out this fall. Better save that for another day, I need to get out in the garden…
Organized under Garden Tips & Advice, Plants I Dig. Labeled as Favorite plants, foliage texture and color, multi-season interest.
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