For the last few years I’ve been tempted by all the new heucheras (coral bells) with their eye-catching leaves. They come in a wide range of colors such as burgundy, lime, purple, bronze and cinnamon. They have tantalizing names like ‘Ginger Ale’, ‘Peach Flambe’, ‘Plum Pudding’ and ‘Lime Rickey’.
Unfortunately, heucheras have a tendency to heave out of the ground in winter and early spring, and it can lead to their demise. I stumbled upon this bit of information after I lost ‘Chocolate Ruffles’ and ‘Marmalade’ over the winter. They were probably done in by a nasty cold snap we had in March after the snow had melted.
One that stayed put for me and thrived was ‘Alabama Sunrise.’
This pretty, mounding heuchera grows 12 inches tall with 20-inch-tall flowers.
I’ve since learned that you should mulch your coral bells in the fall so they’ll be protected from the elements should they decide to get out of their recliners and take a winter walk. I plan to do just that with my newest cultivar, ‘Caramel’:
