Heuchera 'SPLASHBERRY' coral bells
Heuchera
Heucheras – coral bells – are low-maintenance yet striking perennials that have gained popularity for their beautiful foliage and delicate flowers, sometimes appearing in abundant inflorescences. They form dense clumps of leaves, boasting an astonishing range of colors. The botanical genus Heuchera was named after Johann Heinrich von Heucher (1677–1746), a German physician and professor. There are approximately 37 species but classifying them is quite tricky – plants hybridize freely, and their flowers significantly change shape as they mature. No wonder so many breeders are fascinated by them - it’s simply thrilling to experiment with their dynamic gene pool and eagerly await to see what new marvel appears at the end of each attempt. 😊
A demanding breeder
Jelle van den Haak from the Netherlands is one of those enthusiastic breeders who has fallen in love not only with heucheras but also with many other perennials. He is the almighty guru who has developed the utterly awesome Sunseekers series of echinaceas, which feature absolutely stunning colors. He follows a similar approach with his Indian Summer series of heucheras, naming newly acquired varieties after different edible berries or anything fruit-related that their leaf colours resemble. So far, the lineup includes Mulberry, Orangeberry, Huckleberry, Gojiberry, Boysenberry, Coralberry, Cherryberry, Splashberry, and Greenberry. So now what, wanna try one?
Do you know Splashberry? It is a drink from Ihop, the American pancake restaurant chain, and it contains orange juice, Sprite and strawberries. It is colorful, sweet, refreshing, and it looks very tasty. No wonder its name was given to another gem among coral bells from the Indian Summer series. It produces bright chartreuse to golden yellow leaves with brick-red veins, which become more prominent as the leaves mature towards the end of the season. They leaves are firm, not very undulated but not completely flat either, and they cope with sun and frost. Tiny, white flowers grow in erect panicles atop about 30 cm high stems from early summer. They can be cut off if only beautiful foliage is what you desire. The plant makes compact, upright tufts.
Coral bells can take almost any soil with ample moisture and good drainage. They do best in partial shade or filtered sun, however, if you make sure they will not dry out you can place them in full sun, too. They can also live in dark shade where their colours will not be too rich, such location is usually best for light coloured varieties. Cut off all leaves in early spring to encourage growth of new foliage. Fully hardy to abt. -34°C (USDA zone 4), and suitable for outdoor pots.
Last update 09-06-2023
