Heuchera elegans (Urn Flowered Alumroot)

Scientific Name

Heuchera elegans Abrams

Common Name(s)

Urn-Flowered Alumroot, Urnflower Alumroot, Blunt-Fruited Water-Starwort

Scientific Classification

Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Heuchera

Flower

Color: Pink or magenta
Bloom Time: Mid-spring to mid-summer

Description

Heuchera elegans is a rhizomatous perennial herb with multi-lobed leaves. It grows up to 12 inches (30 cm) tall and is nearly equal in width. It produces an erect, drooping inflorescence with bright pink or magenta, bell-shaped flowers, rising another 6 inches (15 cm). The plant blooms in mid-spring to mid-summer.

How to Grow and Care

Generally considered easy to grow and require little routine maintenance. Deadhead the spent flower spikes as needed to encourage continuous flowering or repeat bloom. Mulching during the summer months will help keep the soil moist and prevent heat injury to the shallow root system. Coral Bells can be divided every 3 to 4 years if they lose vigor or when the crown gets too large.

Coral Bells prefer to be planted in locations with fertile, moist, well-drained soil. They particularly do not perform well in locations with poor drainage during the winter months. Most Heuchera cultivars will grow more vigorously and have the best leaf coloration when planted in locations with partial shade, particularly in the afternoon. Purple-leafed cultivars can tolerate more direct sun; generally, the darker the purple coloration, the more exposure to sun they can tolerate. Conversely, the amber and gold-leafed cultivars are less sun-tolerant; the more yellow the leaf coloration, the less tolerant to sunlight they are. Most cultivars will usually survive in locations with full sun or full shade, but they will be smaller and not look as lively.

See more at How to Grow and Care for Coral Bells.

Origin

This species is endemic to the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California.

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