Ornamental · Saxifragaceae
Coral Bells
Heuchera sanguinea
Grown for its bold, year-round foliage just as much as its airy spring flowers, coral bells brightens up the shade.
Partial shade
USDA 3–8
8–20 in · 20–50 cm
Overview
With coral bells, the leaves are the main event and the flowers are the encore. The mounded clumps show up in a pretty wild range of colors, everything from deep purple and bronze to lime green and peach, and they keep that color from spring right into fall. Then in late spring, slim wiry stems shoot up above the mound and carry tiny bell-shaped blooms that hummingbirds can't resist.
Here's the good part: this is a laid-back perennial that barely asks for anything once it's settled. It's part of the saxifrage family and grows wild across a lot of North America, which is a big reason it handles such a wide swing of conditions. Most gardeners put it to work as an edging plant, a filler in shady borders, or a neat little mound near the front of a bed.
Give it the light and soil it likes and it'll keep paying you back for years. What do you really need to nail? Even moisture, good drainage, and a spot out of that harsh afternoon sun. Skip those, and you'll swap rich foliage for scorched edges and rotting crowns.
Care
The short version: pop coral bells into part shade with rich, well-drained soil, keep the moisture even so the roots never sit wet, and deadhead the spent flower stalks to keep those blooms coming.
Light
Coral bells are happiest in partial shade, but they'll take partial sun and even full shade just fine. A little sun deepens the leaf color and gives you more flowers, though in hot regions that afternoon sun will scorch the foliage, so give them a break from it.
Water
Shoot for medium, even moisture, which matters most for plants out in full sun where the leaves scorch once they dry out. They get drought tolerant once they're established, but don't let the roots sit wet, because soggy soil is what kicks off root rot.
Soil
Plant them in humus-rich, well-drained soil that you've worked over with plenty of organic matter. A pH between 6.0 and 7.0 suits them, and they really don't like heavy clay that holds water around the crown.
Humidity
Average humidity is all they're after, so there's no number to chase here. Airflow matters more than moisture in the air, since still, damp conditions are exactly what bring on powdery mildew and other leaf diseases.
Feeding
Coral bells don't eat much. A single spring feeding of balanced fertilizer, or a topdressing of compost during the growing season, is plenty to keep the foliage looking full.
Pruning
Deadhead the spent flower stalks to keep the blooms coming through the season. Then in spring, tidy up any old or winter-beaten foliage to clear space for fresh growth.
Size & spacing
The mounds get 8 to 20 inches (20 to 50 cm) tall and spread 9 to 18 inches (23 to 46 cm) wide. Give each plant room to fill out its full mound so air moves through and the leaves stay dry.
When to plant
Coral bells settle in best when it's cool out. Put divisions or nursery plants in the ground in late fall or early spring, and you'll get the bell-shaped flowers from May into June, often carrying on into early fall as long as you keep snipping off the spent stalks.
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
Just about every coral bells problem comes down to water, sun, or winter cold. Spot the early signs on the leaves and crown and you can jump in before a little issue turns into a big one. Find what matches below, then act while it still does some good.
Wilting clump with a blackened crown that caves in
If the whole clump wilts and the crown goes black and soft, that's root rot, usually the water mold Phytophthora, and it shows up when the soil stays soggy or just won't drain. Dig down a little and you'll feel dark, mushy roots. A plant that's this far gone can't be saved, so pull it, mix in plenty of organic matter to fix the drainage, and go easier with the watering can.
Fix:
- Improve drainage and amend with organic matter
- Avoid overwatering
- Remove and discard severely affected plants
White powder, rusty bumps, or spots on the leaves
A few foliar diseases like to settle on coral bells, including powdery mildew, rust, and bacterial leaf spot. They get going when the leaves stay wet and the air around them just sits there. So give each plant some elbow room for airflow, water down at the base instead of over the top, and snip off any leaves that are already spotted.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation
- Avoid overhead watering
- Remove affected foliage
Plant shoved up out of the soil with roots showing
If the plant looks like it climbed halfway out of the ground over winter, that's frost heaving, and it comes from the soil freezing and thawing over and over until it lifts the crown. Once the roots are up in the cold, dry air, the plant's in trouble. Just press or replant the crown back to its old depth in spring, and lay down a winter mulch once the ground has frozen to keep the soil temperature steady.
Fix:
- Gently press or replant the crown back into the soil in spring
- Apply winter mulch after the ground freezes
Crispy brown edges creeping in on the leaves
Seeing crispy brown edges? That's leaf scorch, and it happens when a sun-baked plant runs short on water during hot, dry weather. It always hits the most exposed leaves first. So if your summers get brutal, move the plant into afternoon shade, and keep the soil evenly moist so those leaves don't dry out on you.
Fix:
- Provide afternoon shade in hot climates
- Maintain consistent soil moisture
Toxicity
Good news if you've got pets or kids: coral bells are safe all around. The ASPCA lists them as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and there's no worry for rabbits, livestock, birds, or people either. So go ahead and plant them wherever you like.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Coral bells are listed as non-toxic, so if a nosy cat grabs a bite of leaf, there's really nothing to worry about.
Dogs None
A dog can chew on the leaves and be totally fine, since none of the plant is poisonous to them.
Horses None
They're safe around horses too, because there's nothing toxic in the leaves, stems, or flowers.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can nibble away at coral bells without any risk of poisoning.
Livestock Safe
Livestock grazing near this plant in the garden or pasture have nothing to worry about.
Birds Safe
Birds pecking at the leaves or seed are perfectly fine.
People Safe
There's no poisoning risk to people either, so even kids handling the leaves are just fine.
Varieties
Breeders have given coral bells a whole spread of leaf colors, and a handful of picks really stand out. Here are the ones worth knowing by name.
Palace Purple
It picked up the 1991 Perennial Plant of the Year title, and it's all about that foliage: deep purple to bronze-green lobed leaves with wine-red undersides.
Georgia Peach
Its peach-to-rose leaves were bred to shrug off heat and humidity better than the older types can.
Primo 'Pretty Pistachio'
This one puts bright lime-green leaves together with soft pink flowers.
How to propagate
Coral bells are easy to make more of, whether you split up an established clump or start the species from seed.
DivisionEasy
Spring, dividing clumps every 3-4 years · One growing season
Want more coral bells? The easiest way is to divide the clumps in spring, lifting the crowns and splitting them every 3 to 4 years. Just set each piece back at the same depth in amended soil, and it'll settle 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
You can also start the straight species from seed sown in late winter to early spring, but here's the catch: surface-sow it, because the seed needs light to sprout. You'll usually get bloom the following year, and keep in mind that named hybrids won't come true from seed.
Myths
Coral bells will poison your dogs and cats.
Not to worry, because the ASPCA lists coral bells as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. You can plant them anywhere your pets roam and not give it a second thought.
Coral bells need full shade and won't flower in the sun.
Actually, they'll grow in anything from full sun to part shade, and plenty of them color up and bloom their best with a bit of direct light. In hot climates, afternoon shade is the way to go, and any plant out in full sun just needs steady moisture so the leaves don't scorch.