Ornamental · Saxifragaceae
Coral Bells
Heuchera sanguinea
Loved for its bold, year-round foliage every bit as much as its airy spring flowers, coral bells brings the shade to life.
Partial shade
USDA 3–8
8–20 in · 20–50 cm
Overview
Coral bells win you over with their leaves first, and the flowers are a lovely bonus. The neat little mounds turn up in a wonderful range of colors, from deep purple and bronze to lime green and peach, and that color sticks with you from spring all the way into fall. Slender, wiry stems lift above the mound in late spring, holding tiny bell-shaped blooms that hummingbirds adore.
Take heart, because this is a relaxed, good-natured perennial that asks very little once it has settled in. It comes from the saxifrage family and grows wild across much of North America, which goes a long way toward explaining why it shrugs off such a wide swing of conditions. Most gardeners lean on it as an edging plant, a gap-filler in shady borders, or a tidy mound tucked near the front of a bed.
Give it the light and soil it likes, and it will thank you for years to come. The few things to get right are even moisture, good drainage, and a spot sheltered from harsh afternoon sun. Miss those and you trade that rich foliage for scorched edges and rotting crowns, but each of those slips is easy to recover from once you know the cause.
Care
The short version: settle coral bells into part shade with rich, well-drained soil, keep the moisture even so the roots never sit wet, and snip off the spent flower stalks to keep fresh blooms coming.
Light
Coral bells are happiest in partial shade, though they will gladly take partial sun and even full shade. A little sun deepens the leaf color and coaxes out more flowers, but in hot regions the afternoon sun can scorch the leaves, so do them a kindness and give them a break from it.
Water
Aim for medium, even moisture, which counts most for plants out in full sun, where the leaves scorch if they are allowed to dry out. They grow pleasantly drought tolerant once established, but never leave the roots sitting wet, since soggy soil is what leads to root rot.
Soil
Settle them into humus-rich, well-drained soil that you have worked over with plenty of organic matter. A pH between 6.0 and 7.0 suits them nicely, and they are unhappy in heavy clay that traps water around the crown.
Humidity
Average humidity is all they ask for, so there is no number to chase or fuss over. Airflow matters far more than moisture in the air, because it is the still, damp conditions that invite powdery mildew and other leaf troubles.
Feeding
Coral bells are gentle, light feeders. A single spring feeding of balanced fertilizer, or a topdressing of compost through the growing season, is all it takes to keep the foliage looking full.
Pruning
Deadhead the spent flower stalks to keep the blooms coming right through the season. When spring rolls around, tidy away any old or winter-worn foliage to make room for the fresh new growth.
Size & spacing
The mounds rise 8 to 20 inches (20 to 50 cm) tall and spread 9 to 18 inches (23 to 46 cm) across. Give each plant a little room to fill out its full mound so air can move freely and the leaves stay dry.
When to plant
Coral bells find their feet most easily while the weather stays cool. Set out divisions or nursery plants in late fall or early spring, and you can look forward to the bell-shaped flowers from May into June, often carrying on through early fall as long as you keep trimming 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
Almost every hiccup with coral bells comes back to water, sun, or winter cold, and the good news is that they are all recoverable. Spot the early signs on the leaves and crown and you can step in before a small worry grows. Match what you are seeing to the notes below, then act while it still does some good.
A wilting clump with a darkened crown that gives way
If your plant sags and the crown turns black and soft, you are looking at root rot, usually the water mold Phytophthora, and it takes hold when soil stays wet or drains slowly. Nudge the soil aside and the roots will feel dark and mushy. A hard-hit plant cannot be nursed back, so lift it out, mix in plenty of organic matter to open up the drainage, and water more sparingly going forward.
Fix:
- Improve drainage and amend with organic matter
- Avoid overwatering
- Remove and discard severely affected plants
A white dusting, rusty bumps, or spotting on the leaves
A handful of foliar diseases can settle on coral bells, among them powdery mildew, rust, and bacterial leaf spot. They move in when leaves stay wet and the air around them barely stirs. You can turn this around by giving each plant room so air flows through it, watering low at the base instead of over the top, and snipping away any leaves that are already marked.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation
- Avoid overhead watering
- Remove affected foliage
The plant lifted out of the soil with its roots bared
When winter's freezing and thawing keeps working the soil, it can push the crown right up out of the ground, and that is frost heaving. Left with their roots open to the cold, dry air, the plant needs a hand. In spring, simply firm or set the crown back down to the depth it started at, and once the ground has frozen, tuck a winter mulch around it to steady the soil temperature.
Fix:
- Gently press or replant the crown back into the soil in spring
- Apply winter mulch after the ground freezes
Dry, crisped edges running along the leaves
Those crunchy brown edges are leaf scorch, and they turn up when a sun-baked plant runs low on water through hot, dry stretches. Rest easy, because the most exposed leaves take the hit first and the plant itself is fine. Shift it into afternoon shade if your summers get fierce, and keep the soil evenly damp so the leaves stay hydrated.
Fix:
- Provide afternoon shade in hot climates
- Maintain consistent soil moisture
Toxicity
Here is a real relief for pet owners and parents: coral bells are safe right across the board. The ASPCA lists them as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and there is nothing to fear for rabbits, livestock, birds, or people either. Tuck them in wherever you please and never give it a second thought.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Coral bells carry a non-toxic listing, so if a curious cat takes a bite of a leaf, there is truly nothing to worry about.
Dogs None
Should a dog gnaw on the foliage, no harm will come of it, because none of the plant is poisonous to them.
Horses None
You can relax with horses nearby, since the leaves, stems, and flowers hold nothing toxic.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits are welcome to nibble coral bells, with no chance of poisoning to fret over.
Livestock Safe
Livestock grazing near this plant in the garden or pasture come to no harm at all.
Birds Safe
Birds that peck at a leaf or a bit of seed stay perfectly safe.
People Safe
There is no poisoning risk to people either, so even little ones who handle the leaves are fine.
Varieties
Breeders have handed coral bells a beautiful sweep of leaf colors, and a few selections truly shine. These are the ones well worth knowing by name.
Palace Purple
Honored as the 1991 Perennial Plant of the Year, it wins hearts with deep purple to bronze-green lobed leaves backed by wine-red undersides, and that foliage color is the whole reason gardeners plant it.
Georgia Peach
You will love how its peach-to-rose foliage was bred to weather heat and humidity more gracefully than the older kinds.
Primo 'Pretty Pistachio'
This cheerful one sets bright lime-green leaves against soft pink flowers.
How to propagate
Making more coral bells is a gentle, low-stress job, whether you split a settled clump or start the species from seed.
DivisionEasy
Spring, dividing clumps every 3-4 years · One growing season
The easiest and most forgiving route to more coral bells is to divide the clumps in spring, gently lifting the crowns and splitting them every 3 to 4 years. Set each piece back at the same depth it grew before in soil you have amended, and it will find its feet within one growing season.
SeedModerate
Late winter to early spring · Bloom typically the following year; named hybrids do not come true from seed
If you would like to try seed, the straight species starts well from a late winter to early spring sowing, and the trick is to surface-sow it because the seed needs light to sprout. Bloom usually arrives the following year, and it helps to know that named hybrids will not come true this way.
Myths
Coral bells will poison dogs and cats.
There is no need for worry here, because the ASPCA counts coral bells as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Plant them freely anywhere your pets wander and rest easy.
Coral bells demand full shade and refuse to flower in sun.
Happily, they take everything from full sun to part shade, and many actually color up and bloom their best with a little direct light. In hot climates, afternoon shade is the kind choice, and any plant in full sun just needs steady moisture so the leaves do not scorch.