Heucherella Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy'

Heucherella Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy': Golden Leaves with Red Hearts

I spy with my little eye something amber, rose and chartreuse, all on the same leaf. 'Eye Spy' changes outfits more than a wedding guest with two receptions. THE GAME IS OVER. IT WON.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: ×Heucherella hybrid
• Common Name: Foamy Bells
• Series: Fun and Games®, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 20–25 cm (8–10 in) in leaf; flower stems reach about 41 cm (16 in)
• Spread: 41–51 cm (16–20 in)
• Flowers: Bubblegum-pink, held above the leaves for many weeks
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to June)
• Foliage: Amber-yellow in spring with deep rose centres, maturing to chartreuse-green with a silver overlay
• Features: Heat and humidity tolerant
• Plant Patent: USPP 30,532 / Can 6,260

Where to Plant: Use it to brighten the front of a shady border, edge a path, or fill a container, and it blends easily into woodland plantings. It handles heat and humidity, and the pink flowers make good small cut flowers.

Companion Plants: Lead off with Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash', which opens pink flowers in April and May at 30 to 35 cm. Ligularia 'Little Rocket' rises behind to 60 to 90 cm and carries yellow spikes from June into August. Symphyotrichum cordifolium finishes the show with blue flowers in September and October. All three share its taste for shade and partial sun, and together they give the bed colour in every season.

Plant Care: Plant in humus-rich, well-drained soil with the crown at soil level. Part shade gives the best colour. Too much hot sun can bleach the yellow. Water through the first season and during dry spells. Soggy winter soil is the main risk, so add compost to heavy clay. A light mulch after the ground freezes helps prevent frost heaving. Remove spent flower stems after bloom and trim tattered leaves in early spring. Divide in spring every few years if the clump gets crowded.

History: Hans A. Hansen bred 'Eye Spy' at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, from a 2013 cross between a Heuchera hybrid and a Tiarella hybrid. It is part of the Fun and Games® series sold through Proven Winners®.

Final Thoughts: Bubblegum pink flowers for weeks, and it handles heat and humidity without whining. Tuck it in part shade and SPY ON THE NEIGHBOURS' ENVY.