Heuchera 'Grape Soda'

Heuchera 'Grape Soda': Fizzy Purple for Shady Porches

'Grape Soda' starts the season rose-pink and fizzes into purple with a silver shimmer, like a childhood favourite with a grown-up makeover. THE HUMMINGBIRDS WANT A STRAW.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Heuchera hybrid
• Common Name: Coral Bells
• Height: 20–25 cm (8–10 in) in leaf; flower stems reach about 45 cm (18 in)
• Spread: 45–50 cm (18–20 in)
• Flowers: Small pink to light purple bells in airy sprays on dark stems
• Bloom Time: Late spring through summer (May to August)
• Foliage: Rose-pink new leaves that mature to purple with a silver overlay. Evergreen in mild winters.
• Features: Long bloom season
• Plant Patent: USPP 26,339

Where to Plant: Use it to edge a shady border, line a woodland path, or fill a container on a north-facing porch. Plant three or five together for a ribbon of colour under trees.

Companion Plants: Pink coral bells look sweet beside Brunnera 'Jack of Diamonds', which adds blue flowers in April and May. Hakonechloa macra brings a fine, flowing grass at 30 to 45 cm, a soft contrast to the rounded heuchera. Hosta 'Guacamole' adds big leaves and lavender flowers in August and September. This trio grows well in shade or part shade.

Plant Care: Plant in moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Keep the crown level with the soil surface. Heuchera rots in waterlogged ground, so work compost into heavy clay before planting. Water regularly through the first summer. Leaf colour is strongest with some light, but afternoon sun can scorch it in a hot spot. Snip off spent flower stems to keep the plant tidy. In early spring, remove any leaves that look tired after winter. Every three to four years the crown may rise out of the soil. Lift, divide and replant it at the right depth in spring.

History: Janet Egger raised 'Grape Soda' at Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon from a controlled cross that used 'Georgia Plum' as the pollen parent, and it received a US plant patent in 2015. Terra Nova sells it in its Soda series of heuchera.

Final Thoughts: Plant it where you'll see the colour change all season. The deer pass on it. NO SUGAR, ALL FLAVOUR.