One of our favorite companion plants and that of many of our customers has been Heuchera, or what we used to call Coral Bells. Beginning with the breakthrough Heuchera Palace Purple, this traditional favorite of Midwest gardeners has undergone some remarkable changes with hybridization. Many of the varieties we have carried for the past few years have come from Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon. Most have been zone tested in our gardens at Dogwood Farm or come highly recommended by fellow gardeners before being sold in the nursery. May. Most of the richly colored burgundy varieties have insignficant blooms of near white.
Many varieties tend to develop elevated growth crowns after a couple of years.
To protect this growth crown from cold winter winds and hot, dry summer conditions, it s best to dig up the plant, deepen the hole in which it rests, and replant it, raising the soil level. Another very popular variety has been the small, variegated Snow Angel from Bluebird Nursery in Nebraska. Last year we obtained a new variety from Terra Nova that promises even more exciting varieties. Large reddish flowers with yellow centers on strong upright stems. Since hummingbirds loved the old-fashioned coral bells, we hope these will attract the hummingbirds as well.