Northern Shade Gardening

Heuchera foliage (coral bells) looks fabulous all season, since they are evergreen. As other perennials start to loose their leaves and flowers in Fall, the coral bells continue to look good, and some develop additional Autumn colouring. Here are five of my favourite Heuchera leaves, livening up the shade garden. All of these ones have hints of silver.

Heuchera 'Mint Frost' two plants

Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’ has subtle foliage for most of the season, in a light green with a hint of silver, and slightly pronounced colour along the veins, while the edges are banded in a medium green. However, when the cold weather starts, ‘Mint Frost’ gets dramatic colour changes of purple, red and gold along the veins, and then all over. The best thing is that they don’t lose their leaves after the colour change, like most plants would, so you get to enjoy the colourful leaves for a long time. They can make this transformation due to late spring frosts, as well as in the Fall. I like the green summer shades and the brighter colours induced by the cold weather equally well.

Heuchera 'Mint Frost' with fall purple

These ones are just starting to develop the red lines along the blades for fall and some have turned completely, but you can see how fresh the green foliage looks, too. Soon the leaves will be an all over red, purple or even orange colour.  ‘Mint Frost’ is best planted for the decorative foliage, since its tall spires of  flowers are insignificant. There is more about ‘Mint Frost’ here.

Heuchera 'Mint Frost' purple leaf with green band in fall

Look at how the purple leaves of  ‘Mint Frost’ still have the green rim around them, a cool effect. This plant doesn’t seem to have a predetermined Fall plan, it just wings it with whatever it feels like changing to. Last year, they turned more gold and orange, but this year they are purple. They are either very capricious, or have been reading the fashion magazines for the current trendy colours. I guess  purple is in this Fall, and gold is out.

Heuchera 'Green Spice' fall foliage

Heuchera ‘Green Spice’ (also called ‘Eco-improved’) has a light green colour to the foliage  with very distinct purple red markings following along the veins all season. Leaves with contrasting colours along the veins are some of my favourites, as they make more beautiful patterns than random blotches. Like ‘Mint Frost’, ‘Green Spice’ has a darker green band around the edge. They are decorative enough to grab your attention, but with the green background, they also blend well with other plants. ‘Green Spice’ looks super with silver, green or purple leafed plants.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' leaves in fall

Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’ have dark purple leaves, with silver overtones. The undersides are a solid purplish red. This is another really nice Heuchera for a section of the garden with purple  colouring.  The dark colour is very dramatic, and the silver shimmer keeps them from looking gloomy. I have some next to a purple leafed Actaea racemosa (bugbane), and they coordinate well. Plant ‘Plum Pudding’ for its foliage, as the cream coloured flowers are not noticeable. There is more about Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’ here.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' with violet pink colour

You can see in this photo that ‘Plum Pudding’ has a little more more violet  pink tone in the Autumn.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' backlit leaf showing red

The ‘Plum Pudding’ leaf is backlit here, making it look like its veins run with hot lava, as the red colour on the other side shines through.

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver' fall foliage

Here is another backlit shot, but of  ‘Cinnabar Silver’, showing the red fire starting along its veins.

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver' pretty leaves

Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’ has fantastic silvery green leaves with purple overtones, There are very dark markings along the leaf veins. The patterns formed by the dark markings are very attractive against the lighter background. These plants coordinate nicely with either silver or purple foliage, and make a nice bridge between purple and silver plants. There is  more silver grey and less purple on these blades than ‘Plum Pudding’. ‘Cinnabar Silver’, though, has beautiful flowers of red, which are extra showy. It is also a little more compact than the other Heuchera.

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver' pretty red flowers

Although this is mostly about the Heuchera foliage, I had to add in a picture of the wonderful red flowers on ‘Cinnabar Silver’. This photo was taken in October, after some early frosts. You can see more pictures of the ‘Cinnabar Silver’ flowers here.

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' silver and purple leaves

Heuchera ‘Raspberry Ice’ is another coral bells with a  silver and purple scheme. These plants have green leaves with lots of silver overlay and some purple. There are pronounced dark lines along the veins. The scalloped edges give a slightly ruffled look to the plants. ‘Raspberry Ice’  is one Heuchera that has beautiful flowers too, with bright pink blooms. If you are looking for fantastic foliage and pretty flowers, this is a good choice. There is more about Heuchera ‘Raspberry Ice’ here.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' silver purple leaves

You can see that I especially like the Heuchera foliage with  grey or silver tones. It gives the plants a little extra sparkle in the shade, and brightens up the darker areas, with more light reflection. Dark colours tend to recede into the shade, so adding some light colours makes them more noticeable.

I’ve grown to appreciate Heuchera foliage more and more as the leaves of other perennials start to decline or drop in the Fall. In the short growing season of zone 3, the garden has less time to flourish in between winter snow seasons, so having some decorative plants that show off at the beginning and end of the gardening year increases the enjoyment of the garden.

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' two plants in fall leaves

This year, we had our last spring frost on May 31 and our first fall frost in the middle of September. That left three and a half months in between with no frost, so you can see how perennials with evergreen foliage are important for lengthening the garden interest. The Heuchera look great, right until covered up by the snow. The garden also gets started quickly in spring, as soon as the snow melts to reveal the evergreen leaves. Most of the them are in good condition, after resting all winter, and the plants just need a little tidy. I’ve added many more Heuchera, Tiarella (foamflower) and their cross, Heucherella (foamy bells), this year because I’ve been so impressed with this ability.

Since these perennials have somewhat stiff leaves, with a distinct scalloped shape, they look good as a contrast next to the fine texture of Astilbe or ferns, or the even larger leaves of Hosta. I also have some beside  the long fuzzy leaves of some Pulmonaria. Their mounds of shapely leaves add some texture contrast to the shade garden.

With the wide variety of leaf patterns, it is easy to find a Heuchera that coordinates with your other garden colours. I’m particularly fond of the silvery green and silvery purple ones, and find they fit easily into a garden bed scheme. Best of all, the fancy foliage stays around all year, so your shady garden never looks bare.

Heuchera leaves and flowers collage

Tiarella ‘Pink Skyrocket’ (foamflower) has long lasting flower spikes of pretty pink and white. This perennial flourishes in the shade, flowering well without much direct light. The leaves have dark patterns on them for added drama.

Tiarella 'Pink Skyrocket' (foam flower) spikes

The eye-catching flowers are the most attractive trait of these plants. The picture above shows how they got their name, ‘Pink Skyrocket’. They range from white to pink along the flower stems, darkening at the tips, mainly because the unopened buds at the top are a bright pink. Although these foamflower plants were added this summer, they’ve had a long blooming time already. I’ll know the natural flowering period next year, but so far they have been in flowers for over 10 weeks. The photo above is from earlier in the month, but even after the first frosts, and into the beginning of October, the flowers continue to decorate the garden.

Tiarella 'Pink Skyrocket' (foam flower) leaves

The leaves of Tiarella ‘Pink Skyrocket’ are a good size and deeply cut between lobes, giving a lacy appearance. Though you can see in the picture above that this foamflower forms a thick cover.  There are dark marks along the centres of each lobe, giving extra interest to the foliage. I have some of these perennials next to some silver leafed Pulmonaria, and they show up well against the light coloured background. The silver grey colour of the Pulmonaria contrasts with the darker leaf colour of this Tiarella. They also make a good background to show off the pink flower spikes.

Tiarella 'Pink Skyrocket' (foam flower) and Pulmonaria

On the other side of the Tiarella ‘Pink Skyrocket’, there are some Campanula poscharskyana (Serbian bellflower) with blue bell shaped flowers that coordinate wonderfully with the pink blooms of the Tiarella. Then along past the Pulmonaria are some Campanula cochlearifolia with small blue bells. I love the pink and white exclamation points mixed between the delicate blue bells of the Campanula in this border.

The foliage on ‘Pink Skyrocket’ is about 15 cm (6 inches) tall, and the flowers about 40 cm (15 inches) tall. This Tiarella is supposed to form clumps, rather than running like some do. The dense foliage on the plants makes a good groundcover, and allows them to suppress weeds.

Tiarella 'Pink Skyrocket' (foam flower) blooms

I’ve been planting more Tiarella and Heucherella this summer, since I really appreciate their terrific combination of pretty, long blooming flowers, decorative leaves and shade tolerance. Here is an article from earlier this summer about a garden border with pink flowered Heucherella ‘Tapestry’ (foamybells), a cross between Heuchera and Tiarella. I’ve been very pleased with any of the garden beds that I’ve added them to. Tiarella ‘Pink Skyrocket’ has some of the nicest flowers of the ones I’ve tried. The closeup picture below shows the starry effect of the flower wands. You can read and see more Tiarella photos in  this article. Also, you can read about other Tiarella, their shade tolerance, and hardiness.

Tiarella 'Pink Skyrocket' (foam flower) in front of Pulmonaria

Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’ (coral bells) has beautifully patterned leaves of silver purple with reddish purple marks along the veins. As well as the great evergreen foliage, this perennial sends up spikes of dark red flowers. It is a great ornamental plant for the shade.

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver' (coral bells) with purple leaves

The ornate leaves of this Heuchera have a purple base with a silver sheen. Running along the veins of the leaves are dark purple lines in wonderful patterns, which can be a reddish colour, too.  The rich colour overlays pop in the shade. Best of all, the evergreen leaves last all season, even after frost sets in. They keep the garden looking fresh, when other plants are retreating underground for winter. This foliage looks good with other purple, green or silver leaves. Here are more pictures of the Heuchera foliage in my garden.

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver' (coral bells) red flowers and purple leaves

‘Cinnabar Silver’ is adorned with dark, slightly brownish, red flower spikes. The flowers really stand out when displayed against a silver or grey background in the garden. In the picture above, an Athyrium ‘Ghost’ (ghost fern) makes a super foil to show off the darker blooms. The flower spikes are much thicker than many Heuchera, and the flowers larger, so they make a good display. These plants bloomed for over 6 weeks, with a beautiful display.

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver' (coral bells) red flowers with Epimedium behind

The colour combinations of  this coral bells turn a a darker shade area into a colourful garden. The picture above shows another group of this Heuchera in front of some Epimedium. The purple foliage is highly decorative, even without flowers, but the flowers are very appealing on ‘Cinnabar Silver’, unlike many other Heuchera. This is a more compact form of coral bells. The leaves are about 15 cm (6 inches ) tall, while the flowers spikes are up to 53 cm (21 inches) high.

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver' (coral bells) with Hosta in front

This photo shows the flowers of Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’ behind the purple flowers of Hosta ‘Ginko Craig’. The lavender flowers of the Hosta coordinate nicely with the Heuchera leaves. Since the Heuchera were just planted earlier this year, I’ll know more about their natural flowering time next year. Even if they don’t flower at the same time, I’m happy with the combination of lavender Hosta flowers and silvery purple leaves of coral bells.

I often choose different coral bells based on the wonderful foliage colours, but Heuchera  ‘Cinnabar Silver’ is one that you can plant both for the showy flowers and the colourful leaves. It is definitely a desirable shade plant. Aren’t those flowers below pretty? You can read and see more about other Heuchera in this post.

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver' (coral bells) red flowers closeup