Ornamental · Saxifragaceae
Coral Bells
Heuchera sanguinea
Grown for its bold, year-round foliage as much as its airy spring flowers, coral bells stitch color low across the shade.
Partial shade
USDA 3–8
8–20 in · 20–50 cm
Overview
Coral bells lead with their leaves, and the flowers follow. The foliage forms low, rounded mounds of lobed, scalloped blades, and the color runs an unusual gamut, from deep purple and bronze through lime green to a warm peach, held from spring well into fall. In late spring, slim wiry stems shoot up above the mound, each strung with tiny bell-shaped flowers that hummingbirds work over.
This is an easygoing perennial that asks for little once its crown takes hold. It belongs to the saxifrage family and grows wild across much of North America, which is part of why it stands up to such a wide swing of conditions. In a bed it reads as a compact cushion of leaves, useful as an edging, a filler tucked into a shady border, or a neat mound near the front.
Give it the light and soil it wants and the foliage stays rich for years. What it needs is even moisture, good drainage, and shelter from harsh afternoon sun. Miss those and the crisp lobed leaves brown at the rim and the crown softens into rot.
Care
The short version: plant coral bells in part shade in rich, well-drained soil, keep the moisture even so the roots never sit wet, and deadhead the spent flower stalks to keep the little bells coming.
Light
Coral bells hold their best color in partial shade, though they take partial sun and even full shade. Some direct sun deepens the purples and bronzes and pushes out more flowers, but in hot regions the afternoon sun scorches the leaf blades, so give them a break from it.
Water
Aim for medium, even moisture, which matters most in full sun where the leaf edges crisp and brown once they dry out. The plants turn drought tolerant once established, but never let the roots sit wet, since soggy soil softens the crown into root rot.
Soil
Plant them in humus-rich, well-drained soil worked over with plenty of organic matter. A pH between 6.0 and 7.0 suits them, and they dislike the dense, sticky feel of heavy clay that holds water around the crown.
Humidity
Average humidity is all they need, so there is no number to chase. Airflow matters more than moisture in the air, since still, damp conditions are what film the leaves with powdery mildew and other blemishes.
Feeding
Coral bells are light feeders. A single spring application of balanced fertilizer, or a topdressing of compost during the growing season, keeps the mound of leaves dense and full.
Pruning
Deadhead the spent flower stalks to keep the little bells coming through the season. Come spring, clip away any old or winter-tattered blades to make room for fresh, brightly colored growth.
Size & spacing
The leafy mounds reach 8 to 20 inches (20 to 50 cm) tall and spread 9 to 18 inches (23 to 46 cm) wide. Give each plant room for its full mound so air moves through the leaves and they stay dry.
When to plant
Coral bells settle in best while the weather stays cool. Set divisions or nursery stock into the ground in late fall or early spring, and the slender stems hang out their bell-shaped flowers from May into June, often carrying on through early fall wherever the spent stalks are trimmed.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Late winter to early spring; surface-sow seed as it needs light to germinate
- Plant: Late fall or early spring
- Harvest: May to June, often through early fall if deadheaded
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Most coral bells trouble traces back to water, sun, or winter cold, and it writes itself plainly on the plant. Read the early marks on the leaf blades and crown and you can step in before a small problem spreads. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Wilting clump with a blackened crown caving in
When the whole clump droops and the crown darkens to black and turns soft under a fingertip, the trouble is root rot, usually the water mold Phytophthora, and it moves in where the soil stays soggy or drains poorly. Lift the base and the roots show up dark and slick with mush. A plant hit this hard cannot be saved, so pull it, dig plenty of organic matter through the bed to open the drainage, and water less.
Fix:
- Improve drainage and amend with organic matter
- Avoid overwatering
- Remove and discard severely affected plants
A white bloom, rust bumps, or spotting on the leaves
Several foliar diseases leave their mark on coral bells, powdery mildew as a chalky white film, rust as raised rust-colored pustules, and bacterial leaf spot as dark flecks across the blade. They set in where the leaves stay damp and the air sits still. Open space around the plant so air moves through, water at the base rather than over the leaves, and cut away any blade already marked.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation
- Avoid overhead watering
- Remove affected foliage
Plant heaved upward with bare roots showing
A crown that has risen above the soil line with its pale roots bared to the air has met frost heaving, the slow shove of winter freeze-and-thaw cycles lifting the plant. Out in the cold, dry air, those exposed roots dry and chill. Ease the crown back down to its original depth in spring, and once the ground has frozen, blanket it with a winter mulch to hold the soil temperature even.
Fix:
- Gently press or replant the crown back into the soil in spring
- Apply winter mulch after the ground freezes
Dry, browned edges curling in on the leaves
Brown, papery, curling leaf edges are leaf scorch, showing up when a sun-baked plant runs short of water through hot, dry weather. The crisping starts on the most exposed foliage, where the color bleeds out to a dry tan rim. Shift the plant into afternoon shade where summers turn hot, and hold the soil evenly moist so the leaves keep their full color and texture.
Fix:
- Provide afternoon shade in hot climates
- Maintain consistent soil moisture
Toxicity
Every part of this plant, from the lobed leaf blades to the thin wiry flower stems, holds nothing harmful. On the ASPCA list, coral bells sit in the non-toxic column for cats, for dogs, and for horses, and rabbits, livestock, birds, and people are equally safe around them. No leaf or stem here needs to be kept out of anyone's reach.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Coral bells are listed as non-toxic, so a cat that bites into a leaf comes to no harm.
Dogs None
A dog can chew the lobed foliage without harm, since no part of the plant is poisonous to them.
Horses None
Horses are safe near the plant, with nothing toxic in the leaves, stems, or bell-shaped flowers.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can browse the leaves with no risk of poisoning.
Livestock Safe
Grazing livestock face no danger from this plant in pasture or garden.
Birds Safe
Birds that peck at the leaves or fine seed remain perfectly safe.
People Safe
The plant poses no poisoning risk to people, including children who handle the foliage.
Varieties
Breeders have pushed coral bells across a striking range of leaf colors, and a few selections stand out. These are the ones worth knowing by name.
Palace Purple
Named the 1991 Perennial Plant of the Year, it is prized for its lobed leaves of deep purple to bronze-green, each blade turned over to reveal a wine-red underside.
Georgia Peach
Its foliage glows in shades of peach to rose and was bred to hold that color through heat and humidity better than older types.
Primo 'Pretty Pistachio'
It sets bright lime-green leaves beneath sprays of soft pink flowers.
How to propagate
New plants come readily, either from a mature crown sliced into rooted divisions or from the fine seed of the straight species.
DivisionEasy
Spring, dividing clumps every 3-4 years · One growing season
The simplest way to make more coral bells is to divide the clumps in spring, lifting the woody crowns and splitting them into rooted pieces every 3 to 4 years. Set each division back at its original depth in amended soil, and it knits in over a single growing season.
SeedModerate
Late winter to early spring · Bloom typically the following year; named hybrids do not come true from seed
The straight species grows from its fine, dustlike seed sown in late winter to early spring, and you surface-sow it because the seed needs light to germinate. Bloom usually follows the next year, and named hybrids will not come true this way.
Myths
A cat or dog that eats coral bells will get sick.
Not so: the ASPCA keeps coral bells on its non-toxic roster for dogs, for cats, and for horses alike. A nibbled leaf does no harm, so the plants can grow right along the routes your pets patrol.
Deep shade is a must for coral bells, which stop blooming the moment direct sun reaches them.
They grow in anything from full sun to part shade, and many draw their deepest leaf color and heaviest bloom from some direct light. Afternoon shade is the smart choice in hot climates, and plants in full sun need steady moisture to keep the leaf edges from scorching.