By James Wall
A new range of heuchera became available a couple of weeks ago. On asking our plant buyer to get some in, she told me that they had not been good sellers in the past. After some convincing, we got a batch in. They have not exactly walked out the door, but hey, for us plant lovers, it’s not always about that.
These new hybrids are tolerant to heat and humidity. They will take full sun, but might be better in a semi-shaded area. They will flower, but what I love about them is their striking foliage colour more so than their fairly ordinary flowers. They are great for under planting and add year round colour to the garden.
The plants are also chunky, dense shrubs that grow in a rounded sort of way. I think they add richness to a garden in both their shape and colour. They grow 20-30cm high and 30-40cm wide. Leaf colours include shades of reds, pinks, peaches, silvers, purples and chocolate.
The plant was originally native to North America and discovered and named after Johann Heinrich von Heucher (1677-1746), a German physician. He used tonic derived of the roots to aid digestive difficulties, and used extractions from the root to stop minor bleeding, reduce inflammation, and otherwise shrink moist tissues after swelling. Do not try this at home however, as these plants are not the original native form, but ones bred for superior garden performance.
The plants we received are excellent specimens and of a good size. Get in before the heuchera craze catches on – I am sure you will like them.