How to Grow and Care for Coral Bells

What Are Coral Bells?

Coral bells, also called Heucheras, are evergreen or semi-evergreen shade-loving plants that open gorgeous clusters of blooms on tall stalks.

• Botanical Name: Heuchera
• Common Names: Coral bells, alum root
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer; some into fall
• Light Needs: Partial to full sun
• Hardiness Zones: 4-9
• Height & Width: some to 16 inches tall, 12-36 inches wide
• Growth rate: Moderate

Most are cold hardy in USDA Gardening Zones 4 to 9; some can tolerate the heat and humidity in Zone 11, and others can take the temperatures in Zone 3.

Increasingly popular with gardeners, they deserve the attention they’re getting. New introductions are giving us stunning new colors that range from silver and gold to lime, burgundy, chocolate brown, purple, green and more. Graceful, bell-shaped flower clusters open from spring into summer. The pink, red or white flowers are actually inflorescences, or tiny clusters of blooms, that open on stalks that can be two to three times as tall as the leaf mound. Depending on the variety and the season, coral bells range from about 5 to 16 inches tall and 12 to 36 inches wide.

How to Use Coral Bells

Add year-round interest to the garden: Coral bells don't have showy flowers, but their foliage is eye-catching. The leaves are often large and heart-shaped or rounded, and many are variegated or ruffled. Because some coral bells are evergreen, they can add year-round interest to the garden, even under a dusting of snow.

Plant as an edging or in containers: Coral bells plants are versatile. Plant them in masses, as an edging or specimen plant or in containers.

Mix with other shade loving perennials: Use Heucheras in a mixed perennial border or a woodland shade garden with other shade loving perennials such as bleeding heart, iris and astilbe. Hosta, impatiens, ferns and caladiums are natural companions.

Plant near the house to attract hummingbirds: An added bonus for planting coral bells? Hummingbirds often visit the delicate flowers.

How to Grow Coral Bells

Sun

Most coral bells prefer partial shade, but some can take sun. Read the tag or label on your plant to be sure; the leaves can scorch or fade in strong sunlight.

Soil

Give them well-drained, moist, organically rich soil that’s neutral to slightly acidic, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

Water

Other than keeping them regularly watered during their first year of growth, Heucheras don’t require much care, but give coral bells in full sun some extra water. Coral bells plants can tolerate some drought.

Dividing, Deadheading and Pruning

Divide coral bells clumps as needed, or about every three or four years. Deadhead the flowers to promote more blooms, which may continue into late summer and early fall. After the flowers finish, cut off the stalks to help the plant put more energy into leaf production. Prune the foliage back in early spring, especially if it looks ragged or damaged, so new growth can emerge without being crowded.

Coral Bells Pests and Diseases

Few pests or diseases bother these deer-resistant beauties, although leaf scorch can be a problem for coral bells in hot afternoon sun. Watch for soil heave in changing temperatures; this happens when the ground freezes and thaws, eventually pushing the roots up out of the ground. Keeping coral bells well mulched can help prevent this from happening.

Coral Bells FAQs

Can coral bells take full sun? Partial shade is ideal, but some can take 4 to 6 hours of daily sun if they're well-watered. Read your plant's tag or label to be sure.

When should I prune Heucheras? Remove dead or damaged leaves anytime. Cut off flower stalks when they stop blooming.

Are coral bells good container plants? They're lovely in containers, whether grown solo or with other perennials and annuals. For best results, use a deep container.

Where can coral bells grow? Use them as a groundcover on a slope, in rock gardens or in groups of 3 to 5 plants in front of a bed or border. They're also attractive in woodlands, along paths and in shady nooks.

Coral Bells to Try

There are many Heuchera species, including H. sanguinea, the desert native that was originally known as coral bells. Today, the name coral bells is widely used for many Heucheras available as hybridized landscape plants. Many of these are crosses that may include H. sanguinea as well as H. americana and other species known for various appealing characteristics, from foliage color and shape, to bloom color and overall size and from cold tolerance to heat tolerance.

Dolce 'Wildberry' - Mounds of glossy, purple leaves grow 10 to 14 inches tall. Other purple coral bells include ‘Sugar Plum,' which has purplish leaves that turn silvery in summer.

'Carnival Black Olive' - This is one in a series of 'Carnival' coral bells. The bronze-black leaves are a dark wine color underneath. The plants are evergreen in mild winter climates and last longer in the heat of summer than other varieties.

'Carnival Fall Festival' - This heat-tolerant plant has rose and caramel-colored leaves with a silvery sheen. The undersides of the leaves are burgundy, and the plants grow to 12 inches tall.

'Marmalade Coral Bells' - 'Marmalade' is a blend of deep gold and glowing, reddish-pink. The bold red stems carry clusters of small, white flowers over mounds of foliage that grow to 10 inches tall.

'Palace Purple' – Olive-green to purplish-bronze foliage make 'Palace Purple' a striking addition to gardens or pots that get part shade to full sun. It tops out at 8 to 12 inches in height.

'Plum Pudding' - Plum-purple leaves have a silvery sheen on these coral bells. They grow to 10 inches tall in tight mounds and work beautifully in mixed containers or rock gardens. The plants produce small, white flowers.

'Red Lightning' - This striking coral bells plant unfurls big, chartreuse-gold leaves with bright red veins. The contrasting colors add a "wow" factor to gardens and containers. The plants grow about 11 inches tall.

Northern Exposure 'Black' - Smoky chocolate leaves on this coral bells plant sound a deep, dark note in planting beds. Here, it's paired with the orange blooms of ‘Desert Coral’ coreopsis. It's hardier than most coral bells and hardy in Zones 3 to 10.

Dolce 'Appletini' - Red flowers on slender stems emerge from mounds of this coral bells' apple-green foliage. Expect it to grow 6 to 10 inches in height. It's combined with pink begonias in this container.

'Primo Peachberry Ice' - Small, creamy-colored flowers open in mid-summer over this plant's apricot-orange leaves. The foliage has a silvery sheen on top and pink undersides; the colors mellow when the weather turns warmer. Expect it to grow 8 to 10 inches tall.

'Delta Dawn' - Clumps of big, round, gold and lime-colored leaves with showy red veins makes 'Delta Dawn' a standout. Small, white flowers open from early to late summer. The plants grow to 8 inches high, and the leaves eventually turn solid lime green.

'Blondie' – (Not shown) Caramel-colored leaves with creamy yellow flower spikes make this dwarf coral bells plant a standout. It's a heavy bloomer that’s good for small containers. It prefers partial to full shade and grows 5 to 9 inches tall.

'Sweet Tart' – (Not shown) Another miniature, this coral bells heavy bloomer has bright lime-green leaves and bicolored flowers in shades of pink. It matures at 4 to 5 inches high.