Heuchera 'Fire Alarm'

Heuchera 'Fire Alarm': Hot Red Leaves You Can't Ignore

'Fire Alarm' goes off the second spring hits. Thick, glossy leaves in red, orange-red and bronze, lighting up the shade like somebody pulled the lever. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Heuchera hybrid
• Common Name: Coral Bells
• Height: 20–25 cm (8–10 in) in leaf
• Spread: 35–45 cm (14–18 in)
• Flowers: Small white bells in airy sprays
• Bloom Time: Early to midsummer (June to August)
• Foliage: Thick, glossy, rounded leaves in red, orange-red and bronze-red
• Plant Patent: USPP 24,525

Where to Plant: Plant it where you want a spark of warm colour in a shady bed: the front of a border, under small trees, beside a path or in a container by the door. A little morning sun brings out its best colour.

Companion Plants: Hosta 'Guacamole' brings big, bright leaves and lavender flowers in August and September. Epimedium 'Frohnleiten' adds yellow flowers in April and May, before the coral bells start. Tuck Brunnera 'Jack of Diamonds' nearby for blue spring flowers in April and May. These all grow well in shade or part shade.

Plant Care: Give it moist, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Set the crown level with the soil, not buried. Heavy clay that stays wet over winter is the main risk, so loosen it with compost or choose a slightly raised spot. Water regularly in the first season and during dry spells. In early spring, trim off leaves that look worn from winter. Snip spent flower stems at the base. Frost can lift young plants in their first winter, so add light mulch in fall and press the crown back down in spring if needed. Divide every three or four years to refresh the clump.

History: Janet Egger bred 'Fire Alarm' at Terra Nova Nurseries in Canby, Oregon, from a cross between two of the nursery's unreleased hybrids, and it received its U.S. plant patent in 2014. Coral bells are native to North America, and the genus is named for Johann Heinrich von Heucher, an 18th-century German physician and botanist.

Final Thoughts: Give it some morning sun for the brightest colour and step back. Deer stay clear. EVACUATE THE BORING PLANTS.