Heuchera Dolce® 'Silver Gumdrop'

Heuchera Dolce® 'Silver Gumdrop': Bright Silver for Dim Corners

'Silver Gumdrop' is tiny, shiny and dangerously cute. Small silver heart-shaped leaves with thin dark veins, then vibrant pink bells held way up high. CANDY JAR ENERGY.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Heuchera hybrid
• Common Name: Coral Bells
• Series: Dolce®, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 15–20 cm (6–8 in) in leaf; flower stems reach 51–61 cm (20–24 in)
• Spread: 36–41 cm (14–16 in)
• Flowers: Vibrant pink bells on slender stems held high above the leaves
• Bloom Time: Midsummer (July to August)
• Foliage: Small, heart-shaped, semi-glossy silver leaves with thin dark veins, taking on a rosy blush later in the season
• Features: Salt tolerant

Where to Plant: Use it to edge a shady path, line the front of a border, or fill a container where you want a bright, low accent, and plant a few in a row so they read clearly from a distance. Its salt tolerance makes it a fair choice near a front walk, and heuchera generally copes with the roots of black walnut.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Silver Gumdrop' in a moist, shady bed with pink hellebores, lavender-pink astilbe and a giant hosta. Helleborus HGC® Pink Frost opens pink-flushed flowers at 30 to 40 cm from March to May. Astilbe 'Heart and Soul' adds lavender-pink plumes at 75 cm from July to September. Hosta Shadowland® Giant 'Empress Wu' rises behind with huge leaves at 91 to 120 cm. Carex 'Evergold' edges the bed with arching cream-striped blades at 30 to 45 cm.

Plant Care: Plant it in humus-rich, well-drained soil with the crown right at soil level. Heuchera dislikes sitting wet in winter, so loosen heavy clay with compost before planting. Water regularly the first season, then give it a drink in long dry spells. Freeze and thaw cycles can push young crowns out of the ground. Mulch lightly after the soil freezes, and press any heaved plants back down in spring. Trim off tattered leaves in early spring before new growth starts. When the crown gets woody and leggy after a few years, lift and divide it in spring, replanting the leafy pieces a little deeper.

History: Hans A. Hansen bred 'Silver Gumdrop' at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, from a cross made in 2013. Its family tree runs through 'Mocha Mint', 'Stainless Steel' and 'Milan' and back to North American species including Heuchera americana and H. villosa.

Final Thoughts: Plant it at the front of a shady bed or in a pot by the door. Salt tolerant and deer resistant. SWEETER THAN YOUR DENTIST WOULD LIKE.