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Heucheras and Hostas?

cakbu
9 years ago

I'm new to Heucheras...just bought several. I read here a lot of people seem to be planting Heucheras and Hostas together. I'm confused because (I believe) Heucheras (most) like sun but Hostas like shade. How are people combining these?
So far I have marmalade lime, purple palace, Georgia peach, Bessingham coral, and caramel. I have put them in pots and located them various places to see where they will be happiest. Attached is a picture of my marmalade.
I'm sure I will be adding to my collection!
Cheryl

This post was edited by cakbu on Thu, Jun 5, 14 at 8:38

Comments (14)

  • jadie88
    9 years ago

    Hosta and heuchs play very well together. :) In your zone, afternoon sun can be intense...heuchs could bask in the sunshine all day in those northerly zones but fry in hot southern sun. Not sure where you are, but anywhere in zone 9 would be hot for heuchera, right? In my zone 7a MD garden, some shade in the afternoon seems to be helpful.

    Have you heard about villosa hybrids being best for hot zones?

  • funnthsun z7A - Southern VA
    9 years ago

    Funny enough, I ditto what was said above, but the actual water requirements are not the same for hostas and heucheras, although they do play well in the same sandbox. I have them planted together all over. I always water the heucheras less or just skip them altogether when I'm watering my hostas. Hostas need more water, heucheras tend to like it a bit leaner on the watering.

  • jimr66
    9 years ago

    They do well together, the color and leaf shape contrast well with hosta another good plant is Ligularia. There are 4 heuchera in the pic, Plum Pudding, Caramel, Fire Chief and way toward the back a Sweet Tart in flower

  • Liz321
    9 years ago

    I have heuchera and hosta together in two beds and they do wonderfully! Both beds are on the north side of my house, in the shadow of the house. The heuchera are at the outer edges of the beds with giant hosta in the darker area closer to the house. The only issue I have is that the three year old bed plants have suddenly outgrown the bed and I have to thin everything next spring. My carmel are huge and beautiful.

  • vivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
    9 years ago

    Jim, Love your raised bed and beautiful combinations.

    I also like to plant Heucheras in the same bed as hostas. I have the same experience that with some sun, they both grow better and faster.

    Here is a mini Heuchera Frost under Hosta Sagae. In the back is Obsidian.

    Vivian

  • vivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
    9 years ago

    Here is Hosta June with Heuchera Canjun Fire at left, Paris (with hot pink blooms in the back) and you can see a few leaves from Georgia Peach. They got mostly afternoon sun.

  • vivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
    9 years ago

    Heuchera Paris (love the pink spikes) and Hosta Majesty

  • flower_frenzy
    9 years ago

    Vivian -I love your pictures! Your hostas look great. The three that you pictured are definitely in my top ten.

    I don't have heuchera 'Paris' yet. I didn't buy it because I have lots of green ones, but seeing your pics has made me re-think the whole thing. The flowers really set it apart from the other greens.

    I, too, am always planting hostas and heuchies together. They play off each other nicely. Here's a picture of one of my new-ish hosta beds interplanted with colorful heuchera.

  • flower_frenzy
    9 years ago

    A view from the other side of the same hosta/heuchie bed. There are some astilbe in there as well, as I find that the leaves offset the hostas and heuchera quite nicely. The flowers are also a definite plus.

  • flower_frenzy
    9 years ago

    Here are hostas 'June' and 'Lemon Lime' with various heuchera. I especially like the orange tones of heuchera 'Dolce Peach Melba' against the blues of 'June'.

    This post was edited by flower-frenzy on Wed, Jul 23, 14 at 14:30

  • flower_frenzy
    9 years ago

    Here's another favorite raised bed with heuchera, hostas and a dwarf hydrangea.

  • vivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
    9 years ago

    FF, Beautiful combinations and I love how the heucheras, hostas and hydrangeas (3 plants I love the most) complement each other. The color combination is truly outstanding. I always use dark heucheras as I don't have much of shade places. Paris is the only green one I have. So now I really want to try some of the light colored ones. I am going to go through your other posts and trying to identify what the heucheras are so I can start making a list (I am running out of space living in Chicago Subs with a big house on a small lot.......). And DH wants to have some green grass so our dog Happy (she is a big weimaraner) can run around in the backyard!
    Vivian

  • alvina01
    9 years ago

    Its not a matter of sun or shadow, I have both Hosta and Huechera plants and they both grow better and faster.