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
• Plant Patent: USPP 16,560

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: Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' brings bold leaves and white flowers in June and July, a calm backdrop for the low coral bells. Tricyrtis hirta adds white, spotted flowers in August and September, after the heuchera finishes. Tuck Brunnera macrophylla in front for blue spring flowers in April and May. This is a layered planting for shade and part shade.

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.