Key takeaways
- Heuchera is hardy across the UK and keeps its colourful leaves all year
- It likes part shade, as hot afternoon sun scorches the dark-leaved kinds
- Divide every three or four years in spring, before the crown gets woody
- Vine weevil grubs are the main killer, so use nematodes in late summer
- It's brilliant in pots filled with loam-based compost that drains well
Heuchera is one of the most useful foliage plants for a UK garden. It gives you colour all year round, in shades from near-black to bright lime. Also called coral bells, it comes from North America, is hardy everywhere in the UK and loves the part shade that most British gardens have plenty of.
Garden centres usually have lots of varieties to choose from. Here’s how to pick the best colours, where to plant them, and how to deal with vine weevil, the one pest that kills more heucheras than anything else.
What varieties of heuchera should I grow?
Choose by the leaf colour you want and how much light the spot gets. Dark purples and silvers keep their colour best in shade. Limes and ambers cope with more sun.
A mix of heucheras showing off just some of the leaf colours you can choose from.
Which heuchera should you choose?
| Variety | Leaf colour | Size | Best spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palace Purple | Deep burgundy-purple | Medium | Part shade |
| Lime Marmalade | Bright lime green | Compact | Part shade to some sun |
| Obsidian | Near-black, glossy | Compact | Part shade |
| Berry Smoothie | Rose-pink to berry | Medium | Part shade |
| Silver Scrolls | Silver with dark veins | Compact | Part shade |
| Caramel | Amber-apricot, fuzzy | Medium | Part shade |
Purple and dark-leaved varieties
Palace Purple is the classic dark heuchera and still one of the best. Its deep burgundy leaves get richer in cooler weather.
Obsidian is about as dark as heuchera gets, with glossy, almost black leaves. It looks stunning next to silver or lime plants. It stays compact and copes with deeper shade than most. Pair it with silver-leaved plants for eye-catching border combinations.
Lime and amber varieties
Lime Marmalade has the brightest leaves of all, a zingy lime green that glows in shade. It takes more sun than the dark kinds but can scorch in hot afternoon sun in summer. Morning sun and afternoon shade is perfect.
Caramel has warm amber-apricot leaves with a soft, fuzzy feel. The colour shifts with the seasons, from apricot in spring to deeper caramel in autumn. It’s a great choice for containers where you want the colour to stand out.
Silver and metallic varieties
Silver Scrolls has shimmering silver leaves with dark purple veins. It’s reliable and catches the light in shady spots, so it’s great for brightening a dark corner.
Where should I plant heuchera?
Heuchera is happiest in part shade, with a few hours of sun, ideally in the morning. That suits most UK borders, especially north and east-facing beds. Lime and amber kinds can take more sun, but hot summer sun scorches the dark-leaved ones.
How much light each type likes
Dark and purple kinds (Palace Purple, Obsidian, Berry Smoothie) like morning sun only. Afternoon shade keeps their rich colour. In full sun, purple leaves fade to a muddy brown by midsummer.
Lime and amber kinds (Lime Marmalade, Caramel) take more sun but still prefer shelter from fierce afternoon heat. Sun until midday and shade after that is ideal.
Silver kinds (Silver Scrolls) are the most easy-going. They do well in part or dappled shade and don’t mind a little full sun.
Soil requirements
Heuchera needs soil that drains well. Soggy soil kills more heucheras than frost ever does. On heavy clay, dig in coarse grit and garden compost before planting, or use a raised bed.
Most UK garden soils suit heuchera fine. Chalky soil is OK too, as long as it doesn’t dry right out in summer.
Heuchera is a great choice for shady borders where other plants struggle. It copes with tree roots better than most perennials, but avoid spots under thick evergreens where the rain can’t reach.
How to grow heuchera in containers
Heuchera is one of the best foliage plants for pots. It’s compact, colourful all year and happy in shade, so it’s perfect for patios, balconies and doorsteps. In a pot, there’s no risk of soggy clay either.
Heucheras in pots on a shady patio. A few different colours together make an easy, low-fuss display.
Container growing essentials
Use a loam-based compost such as John Innes No. 2 mixed with some perlite. It holds moisture but drains freely. Multi-purpose compost on its own tends to go either soggy or bone-dry.
Use a pot at least 20cm wide and deep, with drainage holes. Terracotta is a good choice, as it breathes. Stand pots on feet in winter so they drain.
Feed once a month from April to September with liquid seaweed, or half-strength tomato feed. Stop feeding in October.
Repot every couple of years in spring. Move up a pot size, or divide the plant and replant in the same pot with fresh compost. Heucheras team up beautifully with other year-round pot plants.
How to divide heuchera
Divide heuchera every three or four years in spring to keep it healthy. This is the most important job. Left alone, the crown gets woody and lifts out of the soil, then dries out, splits and dies.
Dividing a heuchera. The woody crown splits into pieces, each with roots and shoots.
Step-by-step division
- Dig up the whole plant with a fork in early spring
- Shake off loose soil and look at the crown
- Cut through the woody crown with a sharp knife or an old bread knife
- Make sure each piece has at least three leafy shoots and some healthy roots
- Trim off any dead or rotten bits of old stem
- Replant each piece so the crown sits at soil level, not above it
- Firm the soil and water well
- Keep watering for a month or so while new roots grow
How to deal with vine weevil on heuchera
Vine weevil is the biggest killer of heucheras. The adult beetles nibble notches in the leaf edges from spring to autumn. The real damage is done by their grubs, white C-shaped larvae that eat the roots underground from autumn to spring. A bad attack can kill the plant.
Spotting vine weevil damage
Adults leave U-shaped notches around the leaf edges. It looks untidy but rarely kills the plant. They feed at night and hide in leaf litter by day.
You won’t see grub damage until the plant collapses. The grubs, about 1cm long with brown heads, eat the roots and tunnel into the crown. The first sign is often a plant that wilts even though the soil is moist. Tug the crown gently. If it lifts out with no roots holding it, the grubs have been at work.
Nematodes, the natural fix
Water vine weevil nematodes into the soil or compost in late summer. These microscopic creatures hunt down and kill the grubs. Water them into moist soil in the evening, following the instructions on the pack, which tells you how warm the soil needs to be.
It’s the best natural control, as the RHS vine weevil page explains. Repeat every year in late summer.
Heucheras in pots are especially at risk. Treat all your potted heucheras with nematodes in late summer, even if you can’t see any damage.
Other control methods
If you prefer, use an authorised vine weevil product for pots, exactly as the label directs.
Picking off adults by torchlight works surprisingly well for a small collection. Look under leaf litter and around the base of plants after dark. The adults can’t fly, so you’ll find them on the move.
Heuchera foliage colour guide
Heuchera leaves change colour through the year, depending on light, temperature and variety. Knowing this helps you put each one where it looks its best.
Heuchera leaves come in everything from deep plum to bright lime, with silver and amber in between.
How the colours change
Spring brings the brightest new leaves. Purples are at their richest and limes glow brightest in April and May. As summer heats up, the colours soften, with purples going a bit brown and limes a bit greener.
Autumn brings a second burst of colour as it cools. Caramel deepens to amber and purples darken again. The leaves last through winter, though the older outer ones can look tatty by February. Pull those off in early March before new growth starts.
Using colour in planting schemes
Put contrasting colours side by side for impact. Obsidian next to Lime Marmalade really stands out, and Silver Scrolls links the two nicely.
Heucheras mix well with other shade-loving perennials in mixed borders. Plant them with hostas, ferns, astilbes and brunnera for a layered woodland look. Heuchera keeps the colour going from autumn to spring when most other perennials are asleep.
For ground cover, plant Berry Smoothie or Palace Purple about 30cm apart. They make a thick carpet of colour that keeps weeds down. Edge the bed with liriope (lilyturf), a grassy evergreen that also likes shade and has purple flowers in late summer.
Winter care for heuchera
Heuchera is fully hardy and needs very little winter care. The leaves come through frost and snow. No fleece or extra mulch is needed in most gardens.
Winter jobs
| Job | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Remove tatty outer leaves | Early March | Tidies the plant and helps stop grey mould |
| Check the crown | March | If it has lifted, divide or top up the soil |
| Check for vine weevil grubs | October to November | Catching them early saves the plant |
| Water pots less | November to February | Stops soggy roots |
| Move pots somewhere sheltered | December | Protects pots and roots in hard frost |
The main winter risk is wet, not cold. On heavy clay, winter rain sits around the crown and rots it. Improve drainage before planting or grow in raised beds.
Move potted heucheras against a house wall, where the eaves keep off some rain. Stand pots on feet so the drainage holes stay clear.
Planting heuchera: step-by-step
Plant in spring (March to May) or autumn (September to October) in soil that drains well. Autumn is best, as the roots settle into warm soil before winter.
How to plant
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep
- On clay, mix a handful of coarse grit into the hole
- Add a spadeful of garden compost or well-rotted manure
- Take the plant out of its pot and tease out any circling roots
- Set it so the crown sits at soil level, not below and not above
- Fill in, firm gently and water well
- Mulch with bark or compost, keeping it off the crown
- Water weekly for the first six weeks after spring planting, or in dry spells
Spacing and placement
Space heucheras 30-40cm apart. For ground cover, go for 30cm. In mixed borders, 40cm gives each one room to show off.
Put dark kinds where they get morning light, which shows off the colour without scorching. Use lime kinds to brighten gloomy corners. Silver kinds link contrasting neighbours in border planting schemes.
Frequently asked questions
Is heuchera a good plant for shade UK?
Yes, heuchera loves part shade. It’s happiest with a few hours of morning sun and shade in the afternoon. Dark kinds like Palace Purple and Obsidian keep their colour better in shade. Lime and gold kinds take more sun but can still scorch in a hot, south-facing spot in summer.
How often should I divide heuchera?
Every three or four years, in spring. Over time the crown gets woody and lifts above the soil. Dig up the whole plant, split it into pieces with a sharp knife and replant at the original depth. Make sure each piece has at least three shoots, and water well.
Why is my heuchera dying?
Vine weevil grubs are the most common cause. These white, C-shaped grubs eat the roots from autumn to spring. Tug the crown gently, and if it lifts with no roots holding it, grubs are to blame. Water on vine weevil nematodes in late summer. Waterlogged soil is the next most common killer.
Can I grow heuchera in pots UK?
Yes, heuchera is brilliant in pots. Use a loam-based compost like John Innes No. 2 mixed with some perlite, in a pot with drainage holes. Give a liquid seaweed feed once a month from April to September. Repot every couple of years, dividing the plant if it’s crowded.
Do heucheras come back every year?
Yes, heucheras are hardy evergreen perennials. They keep their leaves through winter in most UK gardens. After three or four years the crown lifts up and gets woody. Divide and replant then to keep them going, as undivided plants slowly fade away.
What is the best heuchera for ground cover?
Berry Smoothie and Palace Purple are great for ground cover. Both spread well and make thick clumps of leaves that keep weeds down. Plant them about 30cm apart. They look lovely with other ground cover plants like ajuga and Geranium macrorrhizum.
When should I plant heuchera UK?
Plant in spring (March to May) or autumn (September to October). Autumn is best, as the roots settle into warm soil before winter. Spring planting is fine but needs regular watering in the first summer. Avoid frozen or waterlogged ground.
Our team produces practical UK gardening guidance from source research, contributor records and established horticultural practice. Editorial standards are overseen by Matt W.
