Heuchera 'Obsidian'
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Heuchera 'Obsidian': As Dark as Shade Gets
'Obsidian' is so dark you'll wonder if somebody spilled the coffee. Glossy, near-black leaves that hold their colour all summer and handle more sun than most dark coral bells. BLACK. GLOSSY. TOTALLY UNIMPRESSED.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Heuchera hybrid
- Common Name: Coral Bells
- Height: 25 cm (10 in) in leaf; flower stems reach about 60 cm (24 in)
- Spread: 40 cm (16 in)
- Flowers: Small creamy white bells on dark reddish stems
- Bloom Time: Early to midsummer (June to July)
- Foliage: Glossy, smooth, rounded leaves, reddish-black in spring and near-black when mature. Holds colour well through summer.
Where to Plant: Use it as the dark accent that makes lighter neighbours shine, along a shady walk or in modern containers. It tolerates more sun than most dark-leaved types, so it forgives a brighter spot.
Companion Plants: Use near-black 'Obsidian' in a moist, shady bed with gold grass, picotee hellebores and arching pink plumes. Helleborus HGCÂź Ice N' RosesÂź Dark Picotee opens white flowers edged in dark red at 30 to 45 cm from March to May. Astilbe 'Bressingham Beauty' adds long, arching pink plumes at 90 to 100 cm in July and August. Hosta 'Wind Beneath My Wings' brings big gold-edged leaves at 75 cm. Hakonechloa 'All Gold' edges the bed at 23 to 36 cm with bright gold blades.
Plant Care: Plant in well-drained soil enriched with compost, keeping the crown level with the surface. Avoid places where water collects in spring, and amend heavy clay before planting. It handles morning sun well. In a hot, open site, afternoon shade keeps the leaves glossy. Water through dry stretches, especially in the first year. Remove old flower stems after bloom and trim winter-worn leaves in early spring. Divide every three or four years in spring, replanting so the crown sits at soil level.
History: 'Obsidian' is a Terra Nova Nurseries introduction from Oregon that earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in the UK. Obsidian is a black volcanic glass, a fair description of the leaves.
Final Thoughts: Pair it with chartreuse or gold and let the contrast do the shouting. The deer stay away. VOLCANIC GLASS, ZERO FRAGILITY.