Heuchera 'Marmalade'

Heuchera 'Marmalade': Amber Ruffles, Hot Pink Petticoats

'Marmalade' can't decide on one colour, so it cycles through all of them. Glossy, wavy leaves emerge red, then mellow to amber and gold with pink undersides. THE TOAST HAS OPTIONS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Heuchera hybrid
• Common Name: Coral Bells
• Series: MARMALADE™ series, from Terra Nova Nurseries
• Height: 25–30 cm (10–12 in) in leaf; flower stems reach about 45 cm (18 in)
• Spread: 45 cm (18 in)
• Flowers: Small white bells on red stems
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to June)
• Foliage: Glossy, wavy leaves that emerge red and age to amber and gold, with pink undersides. Evergreen in mild winters.

Where to Plant: It's a good front-of-border plant in light shade, where its warm amber tones add a glow. It also makes a reliable filler for autumn containers.

Companion Plants: Give 'Marmalade' a moist, shady bed with white trillium, a gold-edged hosta and a holly fern. Trillium grandiflorum opens large white flowers at 30 to 45 cm in April and May. Hosta montana 'Aureomarginata' adds big gold-edged leaves at 60 to 70 cm. Cyrtomium fortunei brings stiff, holly-like fern fronds at 30 to 60 cm. Chasmanthium latifolium adds bamboo-like leaves at 60 to 120 cm with dangling seed heads.

Plant Care: Plant in rich, well-drained soil with the crown at soil level. Avoid low spots where spring meltwater sits, and loosen clay with compost before planting. Morning sun deepens the colour; hot afternoon sun can scorch it. Water through dry spells, especially in the first season, and add a light mulch to keep roots cool. Cut off spent flower stems after bloom. In early spring, remove any leaves that look ragged from winter. Divide every three or four years, or when the woody crown begins to rise out of the soil.

History: Janet Egger bred 'Marmalade' at Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon from a cross of 'Amber Waves' and 'Huntsman'. Its later lime-leaved sport became 'Lime Marmalade', and the two now anchor Terra Nova's MARMALADE™ series.

Final Thoughts: Give it a shady spot and let it change outfits all season. The deer aren't interested. BITTERSWEET, MINUS THE BITTER.