Choose Heuchera for year-long colour

Ranging in colours and being one of the few “evergreen” perennials, they really can go a long way to lighting up the garden, not just through the winter, but all 12 months of the year!

Originally, in the late 1990s, most of the early varieties of Heucheras were purple or green, with pink white or red flowers. Now the colours in which they are available is never ending – reds through to orange and purples through to silver and gold, topped off with their pretty pink, white or red flowers they really are something special!

It’s not just the fact they are evergreen which makes them so desirable, but it’s just how easy they are to grow and where they will grow. If you have a dry shady area under some trees, beneath larger shrubs or maybe alongside a hedge, this is the ideal place. They can also be grown in tubs or containers for several months then planted out in the ground later on in life.

There are three rules to follow with Heuchras for guaranteed success:

1 – All varieties will grow happily in full or partial shade and most varieties will grow in full sun, apart from the varieties with pale yellow leaves, Lime Ricky, Lime Marmalade and Key Lime Pie just to name a few. Otherwise the sun will burn the leaves, turning them brown, and you can then damage them from over watering thinking they are dry!

2 – Plant in a soil that doesn’t hold water in Winter. Heucheras prefer a general garden soil, or something very fibrous. Thick clay that waterlogs in the winter isn’t ideal. If you have this problem, stick to growing them in flower pots and containers!

3 – Replant established clumps in their fourth year. After time the rosettes of leaves will lift out of the ground and multiply. Between April and June you can replant them to encourage new vigour. Cut the shoots off at the base flush with ground level, discard the old roots and remove any old leaves, then replant the shoots in clumps of three with the soil flush to the bottom of the leaves, then watch them spring back to life!

So when your next trying to find a plant to give year-round colour, that won’t grow too tall, takes a bit of sun and is easy to look after, then look no further than a Heuchera!