Heuchera 'Silver Scrolls'

Heuchera 'Silver Scrolls': Silver Scrollwork Inked in Purple

'Silver Scrolls' looks like somebody wrapped dark purple leaves in tinfoil and called it art. Pink-tinged flowers rise on beet-red stems above all that shine. HEAVY METAL FOR THE SHADE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Heuchera hybrid
• Common Name: Coral Bells
• Height: 20 cm (8 in) in leaf; flower stems reach up to 60 cm (24 in)
• Spread: 30–40 cm (12–16 in)
• Flowers: Small white bells tinged with pink, opening from pink buds on dark, beet-red stems
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (June to July)
• Foliage: Rounded leaves about 9 cm (3.5 in) across, heavily silvered over dark purple with dark veins; silver and burgundy in spring, silver and near-black later
• Features: Keeps its leaves well into winter
• Plant Patent: USPP 12,066

Where to Plant: Plant it along the front of a shady border, at the edge of a woodland path, or in a pot by a north-facing door. The tall, wispy flower stems add movement without hiding anything behind them, and it generally tolerates black walnut roots, which helps in older yards.

Companion Plants: Tiarella cordifolia spreads in front of the silver coral bells with white foamy flowers in May and June. Hosta 'June Fever' adds lavender flowers in July and August at 40 cm. Pulmonaria 'Pink-a-Blue' brings bicolour flowers in May and June at 41 to 46 cm. These all grow in shade or part shade.

Plant Care: Give it humus-rich, well-drained soil and set the crown at soil level. Heavy clay that stays wet over winter is the main thing to avoid, so work in compost first. Water through the first summer and during long dry spells after that. Cold winters with repeated thaws can heave young plants. A light mulch after the ground freezes helps, and any crowns that pop up in spring can be pressed back in. Tidy up winter-worn leaves in early spring. Every three or four years, when the centre turns woody, divide the clump in spring and replant the healthy pieces.

History: 'Silver Scrolls' came from a 1996 cross made by Charles Oliver at The Primrose Path, a small nursery in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, which also produced the silver-leaved 'Silver Maps' and 'Silver Lode'. It received its US plant patent in 2001 and has been a dependable silver heuchera ever since.

Final Thoughts: Plant it where the shade needs a spotlight. It holds its leaves well into winter. STILL SHINING WHEN THE SNOW SHOWS UP.