Heuchera 'Timeless Treasure'

Heuchera 'Timeless Treasure': Pewter Leaves, Rosy Bells, No Time Limit

'Timeless Treasure' is the heirloom you actually want to inherit. Pewter-purple leaves with a silvery overlay, then rosy-pink bells in tight sprays, round after round. NO DUSTING REQUIRED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Heuchera hybrid
• Common Name: Coral Bells
• Height: 25–30 cm (10–12 in) in leaf; flower stems reach about 50 cm (20 in)
• Spread: 35–45 cm (14–18 in)
• Flowers: Large, rosy-pink bells in tight, upright sprays on burgundy stems, with repeat flushes
• Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall (June to September)
• Foliage: Small, glossy, shallowly lobed leaves; purplish-red when new, then pewter-purple with a silvery overlay and dark veins
• Features: Long blooming

Where to Plant: Use it along the front of a part-shade border, in a hummingbird garden, or in containers where the long bloom keeps the pot looking fresh. The sprays also work as small cut flowers.

Companion Plants: Give 'Timeless Treasure' a moist, shady bed with yellow epimedium, a tassel fern and a gold-edged hosta. Epimedium 'Frohnleiten' opens butter-yellow flowers at 30 to 40 cm in April and May. Polystichum polyblepharum adds glossy evergreen tassel fern fronds at 45 to 60 cm. Hosta 'Wind Beneath My Wings' brings big gold-edged leaves at 75 cm. Carex 'Gold Fountains' edges the front with gold-edged blades at 20 to 30 cm.

Plant Care: Plant it in rich, well-drained soil with the crown at soil level. Heavy clay should be loosened with compost, since wet winter soil is the usual cause of heuchera loss. Water through the first season and during dry spells. Snip spent flower stems at the base to keep the plant tidy and encourage more to follow. In early spring, trim away any leaves damaged over winter. Mulch lightly after the ground freezes to reduce frost heaving. Divide in spring every few years, when the crown starts to rise and turn woody.

History: Hans A. Hansen bred 'Timeless Treasure' at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, from a 2012 cross whose parents came from 'Caramel' crossed with Heuchera parishii, a species from the mountains of southern California, and from 'Mocha Mint' crossed with 'Milan'. The aim was a compact plant with bigger flowers and a much longer bloom.

Final Thoughts: Plant it where the hummingbirds can find it, which won't take them long. Deer don't appraise it. KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY.