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susie53_gw

New Coral Bells as Companion Plants

susie53_gw
13 years ago

Have you seen the new coral bells that are out? I saw a picture of them in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I found them this weekend. Boy, are they ever beauties. I bought 2 different ones. Going to go buy more. I would take a picture but it is raining out. I will try to get one tomorrow.

Susie

Comments (48)

  • chris-e
    13 years ago

    I have a number of varieties of Coral Bells with my hosta as well as ferns and astible. What are the names of the new ones? I could use some new ones for the new garden I am getting ready to plant.

    chris

  • thisismelissa
    13 years ago

    I also have lots of Coral Bells.
    I got Georgia Peach last year and there are a couple others that will probably find their way (somehow) into my garden!

  • idiothe
    13 years ago

    Like hostas, the advent of tissue culturing has resulted in a flood of new heucheras in the last decade. Lots in the yellow-gold-red range. Lots in the burgundy range, often with light colored backs. And a wide range of silver-coated ones.

    My favorites among the new ones are Caramel, Georgia Peach, and Midnight Rose.

  • minnkim
    13 years ago

    I am planning to add some this year too. I have 6 on my list for the sale I am going to on Thursday, but I am not sure I'll be getting them all. There seems to be a lot of variation in the colors even within a variety and I don't know if they will keep those great colors in the garden.

  • chris-e
    13 years ago

    Melissa, Do you have "Snow Angel"? I have only seen it for sale in a few places and not at any nurseries around me. It is a really pretty plant of light green and white and seems to live almost all year!

  • nutmeg4061
    13 years ago

    This is the one that keeps screaming at me, "Buy me! BUY ME!!"
    Heuchera "French Quarter"

    Must...maintain...self control....

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • nutmeg4061
    13 years ago

    Really like this one, too.
    Blackberry Jam.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1007721}}

  • harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania
    13 years ago

    I bought Green Spice and Peppermint Spice heuchera last spring and planted them with a blue hosta (Halcyon). These two heuchera came back gangbusters this spring. They are beautiful. I am looking for more.

  • mjjones453
    13 years ago

    I have been collecting Heuchera along with hosta, although I probably only buy one or two per year, one of my favorites is Creme Brulee,(spelling)?? absolutely beautiful, last year I bought Georgia peach, way cool! Haven't plant shopped yet, but I can't wait!

  • thisismelissa
    13 years ago

    OOOH. LOVE French Quarter.

    Chris.... Yes, I have 2 Snow Angel's. I see them pretty often around here. I will say, however, that they do not appear to be as vigorous as other varieties. This year, I think they both seem smaller than last year.

  • susie53_gw
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Tiramisu & Ginger Ale They have so many more. I need to look at my space. I also bought Hostas Fragrant Dream and Queen Josephine

  • bettylu_zone6a
    13 years ago

    I think I am also smitten by the Heuchera bug!

    I ran into WallyWorld to buy some potting mix and absolutely fell for some very nice HUGE Heuchera they had for sale.... They had created some mixed pots with two Heuchera and two other shade loving perennials for $15 each. Since I actually liked the look of the pot (I will use it for annuals on my deck) and the size and healthy look of the heuchera caught my eye, I bought two!

    So now I have 4 new varieties of heuchera (Colors: Caramel, Lime, frosted purple, streaked lime/orange) plus two columbine and two NOID that I need to see if I can identify. I thought this was a pretty good deal and can't wait to plant them out among my hosta!

    I really hope these new varieties grow and multiply as well as the older varieties I already have!

    BettyLu

  • tepelus
    13 years ago

    I was bitten by the heuchera bug last year, and so far this year I have only purchased one (actually, my mom bought it for me as a gift). I'm looking at some of the heucherella cultivars, in particular Sweet Tea, and may try some of them too. I wish one place carried all the different kinds there are out there, instead of this place has one that I want, and another has two, and yet another has several, but not that one I really want. Sigh. I guess I'm too demanding! LOL! I'm going to take some pictures of the ones I have, and post them for all of you to drool over on here in a little while.

    Karen

  • tepelus
    13 years ago

    Okay, here are pictures of the fifteen heuchera I have. Not the greatest pictures, and most of these are young plants, but they are pretty. I've noticed, comparing the pictures I took a month ago to the ones today, that a lot of them have changed color. Their colors seemed better to me then than now, but still not bad. Here we go:

    Amethyst Mist

    Berry Smoothie

    Caramel (my new one, still in the pot)

    Electra

    Frosted Violet

    Georgia Peach (if only you could have seen how pathetic this thing was when I got it (mail order), you wouldn't believe it's the same plant)

    Lime Rickey

    Melting Fire

    Midnight Rose (hard to see the hot pink splashes)

    Obsidian

    Peach Flambe

    Raspberry Ice (camera picks it up as green, it's more gray-purple to my eye)

    Silver Scrolls

    Snow Angel (struggling to come back)

    And last but certainly not least, Southern Comfort (ignore the bird poo)

    Hope you enjoyed my pics!

    Karen

  • tepelus
    13 years ago

    BTW....Can you tell I have Silver Maple trees? LOL!

    Karen

  • unbiddenn
    13 years ago

    heucheraobcession.. its a disease!
    My want list is easy this year:
    Fire Chief
    Paris
    Jade Gloss
    Heucherella Golden Zebra
    Sweet tea

    Sashay is a good one...

  • alyciaadamo
    13 years ago

    I saw got the bug last year too, but the Hosta bug is way deeper!

    I am disappointed my Midnight Rose, Pistache and Miracle did not come back.Pistache had two pathetic leaves on it but then we got a frost I am crossing my fingers maybe just maybe it will come back. I can't even find Miracle and there has been no sign of Midnight Rose.

    Karen now I want Berrie Smoothie and Raspberry Ice those are beautiful pictures.

  • woodthrush
    13 years ago

    Midnight Rose and Sweet Tea are my favorites, this year - lol
    Love them all.

  • tepelus
    13 years ago

    Berry Smoothie is berrylicious! LOL! I love the color on it. I'd say it's a deep raspberry color. In a couple years, when it gets more size, I'm sure that one will turn people's heads.

    Karen

  • tepelus
    13 years ago

    Here's a better pic of Berry Smoothie I took a couple days ago, without the sun shining on it.

    Karen

  • indyrose
    13 years ago

    I've got the bug, too. I've got Creme Brulle (a wonderful fast grower), Mocha Mint, Rickety Lime, Purple Palace (reseeds readily) and Georgia Peach. My Snow Angel didn't come back this year. :-(

    Indyrose

  • jen_nate
    13 years ago

    I don't know a whole lot about these. Can heuchera be split like hosta? Also, do they spread or self seed? I have some new plants popping up and I'm pretty sure I didn't put them there! Thanks!

  • tepelus
    13 years ago

    Yup, heuchera can self-seed, and you can split the crown, as long as each crown has enough roots to sustain each new plant. I split my Ruby Bells last month, when it was still coming out of dormancy. It needed to be replanted deeper into the ground, as the crown was growing above the soil, which these plants are known to do. I noticed when I dug it up, that it looked like it could be split in two, so I did, replanted both pieces, and now they are both doing great.

    Karen

  • catscottage
    13 years ago

    sweet tea

    green spice

    marmalade


    beaujolias

    firefly

    pistache

    tiramisu

  • joebar
    13 years ago

    is there a heuchera forum on garden web, or is this it? i am starting to get the bug for these as well.

  • tepelus
    13 years ago

    They should have one, since it seems many people are into them. There's other forums that don't see much traffic at all, if any, and are still around.

    You've got some nice plants, catscottage. I've just ordered Sweet Tea, I'm hoping to get it in the next couple weeks. My mom has Green Spice, it's a beautiful plant.

    Karen

  • catscottage
    13 years ago

    Thank you trpelus. I really like the color heuchera can add to the shade. Only problem is... it is one more addiction.

  • gayle0000
    13 years ago

    Love that Berry Smoothie! It's on my list to get.

    Here's a pic of my 3 Georgia Peach's taken this morning. They were new to me in 2009.

    Gayle

  • tepelus
    13 years ago

    Those are some nice Georgia Peaches, Gayle. I may have to get more than just the one I have. It's such a pretty plant.

    Karen

  • candicenovitzke
    13 years ago

    For what it's worth, I, too had bad luck with Snow Angel. :-(

    The only problem I have with the Heuchera are the bunnies LOVE the tender new leaves that grow each spring on the top of the plant, so some of mine are suffering some damage right now and looking kinda bad. I'm sure they'll be back in a couple months though.

    Karen, before you go buy more Georgia Peach, if you can wait a year it will probably produce more plants near the base and you can separate them out. then you can spend the money on more hostas :-)

  • tepelus
    13 years ago

    Good idea, Candice! Money saved is money to use on new hostas!

    Karen

  • unbiddenn
    13 years ago

    'Sweet Tea' is a heucherella. It can take full shade, but likes partial, and does best in colder climates.
    You don't have to dig really to seperate out new heuchera plants, just pop the babies off the woody stem, then push the mother back down into the dirt further than she was. and mound up soil a bit around her base.
    I can't locate 'MartiGras' for sale anywhere. and it is REALLY diffrent. LOVE it.

  • gayle0000
    13 years ago

    Since this could be the new Heuchera Forum...may I ask a question?

    Do all Heuchera end up woody? I had several 10 yr old Palace Purples at my last house, and they were woody.

    I had several Amethyst Myst...they got to about 4 years old in my custody and never were woody.

    Do only certain types get woody, or do they all get woody with time?
    Thanks!
    Gayle

  • crazedgardner
    13 years ago

    Unbiddenn, I was told by a fellow gardener that Mardi Gras and French Quarter were no longer mass produced. It was too hard to get them to reliably come up from seed and the only guarantee was to divide the plant. The stock was very limited on these, at least this is what I was told.

    I was fortunate enough that a wonderful lady gave me a piece of Mardi Gras but I have never been able to get my hands on French Quarter. I thought I had found it, but cows got into the stock plants and the nursery was not selling it for a few years. I still have a couple more to wait lol.

  • caliloo
    13 years ago

    I love Heuchs too and have a few varieties (Amethyst Mist, Jade Gloss, Can Can, Americana, Miracle, Ginger Ale, Tiramisu, Frosted Violet, Plum Pudding, Midnight Rose, Peach Melba, Caramel, Paris, Hollywood, Pinot Noir, and a couple of others that are slipping my mind this morning). If you really want a big serving of eye candy - here is what one of the major distributors has going out to retailers this year....

    Here is a link that might be useful: Terra Nova

  • hostajenny
    13 years ago

    I have had Mocha & Encore for a couple of years and they are adding a lot of color this year so I ordered a grab bag from spring hill nurseries as well as georgia peach, sweet tea & caramel. I'm really loving the look of southern comfort and berry smoothie. My new ones are all tiny - hopefully next year I'll be able to share some great pix.

    Caliloo - thanks for the link.

  • shade_tolerant
    13 years ago

    I love heucheras too, I guess I have about 20-25 varieties. Maybe we should lobby GW for a heuchera forum?

  • caliloo
    13 years ago

    A couple frmo this morning.....
    Frosted Violet and Miracle



    Peach Melba


    Regina


  • valtorrez
    13 years ago

    Wow it seems everytone is doing well with plant. I've read other sites that states this plant if very finicky and you have to replace every 3 years. I really want georgia peach and berry smoothie. The nurserie near me has a lot of them I am just afraid to buy more knowing they dont last. Around here they cost around $15-18.

  • nutmeg4061
    13 years ago

    Found this great thread in the perennials forum.
    Look at the COLOR in coolplantsguy`s pics.
    Gasp!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Favorite Heucheras This Season?

  • harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania
    13 years ago

    Frosted Violet:

    Green Spice and Palace Purple surround Gold Standard:

    {{gwi:212239}}

    Peppermint Spice and Green Spice with Halcyon:

  • caliloo
    13 years ago

    Funny you posted Frosted Violet. I haven't seen that one often in the trade, but I absolutely LOVE it! I just moved mine over neat Halcyon and it is looking almost bluish purple in that light. Nice looking arrangements all around though :-)

    Alexa

  • harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania
    13 years ago

    Alexa,
    We are very pleased with Frosted Violet. This is just her second year and she is very large. She is holding up well in full sun until 1:00 each day. Looks nice next to blue juniper.

  • valtorrez
    13 years ago

    For those of you in zone 6 and higher, which coral bells do you have that can take more sun? I have some areas but get more sun than shade but I love this plant.

  • lynnencfan
    13 years ago

    Wonder wonderful thread and pictures - thank you all for posting them. I am just starting to combine Heuchera with Hostas and ferns. I have a nice collection in other beds but I love them with the hostas. The feed back on Snow Angel has been interesting. Mine was really pretty for 2 years and now is about 1/2 the size - seems like it is not a very strong cultivar. I have some started from seed with no names and have really pretty leaf veining on them. Headed over to the Perennial forum and check out their Heuchera thread .....

    Lynne

  • nutmeg4061
    12 years ago

    Link from the perennial forum. Check out the size of those leaves! Doesn't look to be readily available in the states yet.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Heuchera 'Magnum'

  • marquest
    12 years ago

    If you look at the sizes stated in the description I think the Magnum is not going to be as big as the picture appears. It is going to be the size of Southern Comfort. SC has very large leaves.

    I am not saying that I will not buy Magnum I will be all over it as soon as I can get my hands on it but I am saying I think the picture is exsaturated.

  • nutmeg4061
    12 years ago

    marquest, that's what I thought, too. Huge LEAVES, not necessarily huge plant. and like you said also...I want it! lol