Purple bellflower, silver bellflower

Plant family

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Semi-shaded

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Light germinator

Germination temperature

15 - 20 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Plant distance

40 cm

Row spacing

40 cm

Seeding depth

0.1 cm

Instructions

Description

The genus Heuchera belongs to the saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae). The purple bells are mainly native to rock crevices and coastal forests in North America. The various species are mostly winter-green to evergreen perennials that grow in clumps. Purple bellflowers, also known as shade bellflowers, are extremely attractive. Their tiny, funnel-shaped bell-shaped flowers appear in abundance on branched, long-stemmed panicles and seem to float like a cloud above the compact clump. They bloom from May to July and are white, pink or red. In current cultivars - mostly crosses of Heuchera sanguinea and Heuchera americana - the attractive, lobed foliage of the purple bells is the real ornamental value of the plants. Countless varieties are available on the market and new ones are added almost every season. These impress with leaves in vibrant colors ranging from pale to dark green, yellow-orange to dark red, silver, violet and bronze to over-brown. In addition, the leaves are often beautifully patterned, their edges elegantly curled, distinctively lobed or ruffled. The smallest purple bells grow to a height of 15 to 50 centimetres, larger ones to 90 centimetres - measured by the flower stems. Strong-growing varieties form clumps up to 45 centimetres in diameter. They are just as suitable as ground cover in the light shade of trees and shrubs as they are as borders. The garden purple bells (Heuchera brizoides) originated from American wild species.

Growing tips

Heucheras need a semi-shady or sunny location. If they are moist enough, purple bells can also tolerate moderate sunlight. They prefer a fresh to moist, loose, nutrient- and humus-rich soil that should be slightly acidic and not dry out too much in summer.