Heuchera 'Caramel'

Heuchera 'Caramel': Warm Caramel Leaves That Brighten Shade

'Caramel' looks good enough to drizzle on a sundae. Velvety apricot, amber and peach leaves with reddish undersides, and it doesn't melt in the heat or humidity. SWEET, STICKY AND STAYING PUT.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Heuchera villosa hybrid
• Common Name: Coral Bells
• Height: 25–30 cm (10–12 in) in leaf; flower stems to about 45 cm (18 in)
• Spread: 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
• Flowers: Small creamy white to pale pink flowers in airy sprays
• Bloom Time: Mid to late summer (July to August)
• Foliage: Velvety, scalloped leaves in apricot, amber and peach, with reddish undersides; semi-evergreen
• Features: Tolerates heat and humidity

Where to Plant: Use it to edge a shady bed, fill containers, or mass at the front of a woodland border, where the warm leaf colour brightens dark corners. Give it protection from hot afternoon sun.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Caramel' in a moist, shady bed with pink hellebores, blue hostas and arching Solomon's seal. Helleborus HGC® Pink Frost opens pink-flushed flowers at 30 to 40 cm from March to May. Polygonatum multiflorum adds arching stems with white bells at 60 to 90 cm in May and June. Hosta 'Halcyon' brings blue leaves at 45 cm, a cool contrast to the apricot. Liriope 'Royal Purple' edges the front with grass-like leaves and purple spikes at 30 to 45 cm.

Plant Care: Plant in part shade to full shade, in moist, well-drained soil with organic matter. A little morning sun is fine, and helps the colour. Keep the crown at soil level and water regularly in the first season, and during dry spells after that. In spring, trim away leaves that look tired after winter. Cut the flower stems after bloom. When the crown pushes up out of the ground, usually every three or four years, lift and divide it in spring and replant at the right depth.

History: 'Caramel' came from the French nursery of Thierry and Sandrine Delabroye, found in 2003 as a chance seedling, probably of Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Pride'. Its villosa background, from a species native to the eastern U.S., helps it cope with summer heat and humidity.

Final Thoughts: Pair it with dark purple neighbours and watch it glow. The deer will skip dessert. THE TREAT THAT DOESN'T GO STRAIGHT TO YOUR HIPS.