Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Coral Bell ‘Cajun Fire’
Coral Bell ‘Spellbound’
Coral Bell ‘Sugar Berry’
It seems ages ago when coral bells were primarily admired for their flowers, and leaves were a second thought. Then ‘Palace Purple’ was named the 1991 Perennial of the Year and the race was on for exotic foliage colors. Similar to the coneflower craze, the cry for the newest and flashiest plants was echoed by consumers, as well as by income-driven growers. Many good plants were introduced as a result, and some real duds.
It’s fair to say that most coral bells look irresistible as first-year plants on nursery shelves. Sadly, their true colors don’t show until the second or third year when genetics start telling the real story.
In addition to genetic makeup, the species of coral bells (there are over 80) can play a big part in how it will perform in your garden. Eastern species, like villosa and americana, accept heat and humidity much better than Western ones. And those with micrantha in their “blood” are generally not as cold tolerant.
One way to eliminate trial and error and save yourself frustration and money is to check out Heuchera trial evaluations for your climate and zone. For example, Mt. Cuba Center (in Hockessin, DE) conducted a trial on 83 different cultivars in two species, villosa and americana, from 2012-2014. The top ten performers were ‘Citronelle’, ‘Bronze Wave’, ‘Cajun Fire’, ‘Color Dream’, ‘Steel City’, ‘Caramel’, ‘Apple Crisp’, ‘Frosted Violet’, ‘Southern Comfort’ and ‘Spellbound’. Chicago Botanic Garden and Colorado State University have also conducted and published studies.
Gardeners also play a part in a coral bells’ destiny. They require good drainage and air circulation; they hate wet soil – they’re not water plants or fire hydrants. In colder climates, do not plant coral bells where snow crashes off a sloping roof or piles up from snow blowers and plows. Large piles are slow to melt in spring, keeping the soil cold and wet for much longer (which is bad as well for any perennial that demands sharp drainage). Gardeners also need to watch for heaving plants in spring. As coral bells age, their crowns are prone to rising above the soil surface, exposing roots – especially common in colder climates where soil freezes and thaws. Gently press these insurgents back down into the ground.
BIENNIALS
The rich purple domes of Angelica gigas partner nicely with light pink Japanese Anemone
Biennials can be maddening for some gardeners: they are experts at hide and seek. To appreciate biennials you need to know their modus operandi. Simply put, in the first year they only produce foliage, in the second year flowers appear, and by the third year the party is over. The plant is dead. BUT…there should be (did you catch the italics?) little seedlings scattered about the garden for you to find. As they mature, this will count as year one and the story continues. Some biennials are rapid reseeders, like forget-me-nots. Others, not so much, like Angelica gigas.
Some commonly sold biennials include foxglove (Digitalis), hollyhock (Alcea rosea), wallflower (Cheiranthus), dame’s rocket (Hesperis), sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) and Canterbury bells (Campanula medium). And to make matters more confusing, some short-lived perennials are grouped with biennials. These include columbine (Aquilegia), Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicale), Miss Willmott’s ghost (Eryngium giganteum), gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta), English button daisy (Bellis perennis), rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) and lupine.
Gloriosa Daisy
Sea Holly (Eryngium) ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’
Russian Hollyhock (Alcea rugosa)
Now, on to money-saving, smart purchasing tips for biennials:
■ Consider buying seeds. Many biennials are sold as seeds, which is the least expensive way to purchase them.
■ Buy first-year plants in small pots or when they go on sale. To save additional money, purchase pots in fall when prices have been slashed. Then set the first-years out in the garden where you want to see flowers the next season.
■ Avoid buying second-years. Don’t waste your money on second-years that have been marked down for sale, unless there are still a few flowers/seed heads left to salvage. I still wouldn’t bite unless the plant was marked at least 75% off and I was in a risk-taking mood.
■ Create a bloom cycle. Prime the garden pump and buy one first-year plant in a small container and one second-year plant in bud or just starting to bloom (usually sold in quart or gallon pot). This way you have a complete cycle already in place in the garden.
■ Hollyhocks and rust. Hollyhocks are beloved as old-fashioned cottage flowers. But they are prone to getting rust, a fungal disease on their leaves that is very hard to treat. Thankfully, fig-leaf (Alcea ficifolia) and Russian (Alcea rugosa) hollyhocks are more resistant to rust and can be longer-lived as well.
■ Dazzled by Gloriosa Daisies? Eye-popping varieties of Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta) like ‘Cherry Brandy’, sell like hotcakes when in bloom. They are usually sold in gallon-sized containers in the perennial section and cost a pretty penny. Remember, this beauty will most likely be dead the following year. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t make impulse buys, just be an informed consumer, and allow some to reseed. FYI: most Rudbeckia with fuzzy leaves like ‘Cherry Brandy’ are considered short-lived perennials or biennials.
■ Carrots in flower…double the pleasure. You might be surprised to learn that carrots are biennials. If you have traditionally grown these for their yummy roots, why not leave a few unharvested for flowers next year. They have striking Queen Anne’s lace-like flowers all summer long.
Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta) ‘Cherry Brandy’
Biennials aren’t no-brainer plants. They take some planning. If you want to save money and the headache of making sure that 1) second-year plants successfully reseed, 2) you don’t weed seedlings out as they emerge, and 3) the seeds land where you actually want flowers, then purchase long-lived perennial lookalikes instead. Here are a few captivating substitutes to consider:
4 Long-lived Perennial Lookalikes
BIENNIAL
Foxglove (Digitalis)
Miss Willmott’s Ghost (Eryngium)
Sweet William