Perennial · North Texas care guide
Heuchera hybrids
Nursery Pro tip: Foliage color for shade beds. Give it afternoon shade and good drainage; it sulks in a wet, sunny corner.
Heuchera — grown for mounds of ruffled foliage in caramel, lime, purple, silver and near-black, with airy flower spikes in spring that hummingbirds visit. 12–18 in, evergreen in a mild winter, and the color source for a shade bed.
Morning sun with afternoon shade, or bright filtered light. The caramel and amber varieties take the most sun; dark purples hold color best with shade. Needs well-drained, compost-rich soil — never soggy. Space 15–18 in apart.
Fall or spring. Hole twice the pot width, crown at soil level (never buried), native soil with compost, Root Stimulator, light mulch kept off the crown.
Weekly, deeply; more in the heat. Consistent moisture without wet feet, which is why the bed has to drain.
Light spring feeding with a slow-release fertilizer.
Trim tired or scorched leaves any time. In late winter, cut off the winter-damaged foliage as new growth starts. Crowns heave up out of the ground over time — lift and replant them deeper, or divide, every three years.
Crown rot in wet soil, leaf scorch in afternoon sun, and heaving in winter. Slugs in damp shade.
Shade beds with hosta, holly fern, Japanese maple, oakleaf hydrangea and mondo grass. Excellent in containers on a shaded porch.
Written for Rockwall's black clay, heat and winters by the Landscape Source team. Every yard is different — bring a photo by, or ask LS-Ai, and we'll tailor it to your spot.