Heuchera description care. A close acquaintance with the original types of garden heuchera. What happens after flowering

Heuchera or spotted geranium is a genus of herbaceous rhizomatous perennials family Saxifraga. The flower received its name in honor of the German professor of botany and medicine I. G. Geicher. This plant is native to North America.

This plant began to decorate gardens and parks relatively recently; previously it was known as mountain undergrowth and was used to heal wounds and ulcers.

IN landscape design Heuchera has become popular due to the variety of colors of its velvety leaves that overwinter under the snow. Delicate flowers, retaining their decorative effect throughout the summer, complemented its beauty.

Heuchera is a rounded shrub consisting of several rosettes with bright, long-petioled leathery leaves. Over time, the number of rosettes on the plant increases and in a 3-5 year old flower their number reaches several dozen. The patch size reaches 60 centimeters in diameter. The height of the plant, depending on the variety, ranges from 20 to 100 centimeters.

The leaf stalks are long. The leaves are round, of various colors, often greenish-red. The edges are jagged. The redness is most noticeable on young, unfolding foliage and in the fall, after frost. During the season, the color and texture of the leaves changes up to 10 times. There may be patterns, shapeless spots, small dots, and veins on the surface of the plates. The leaves are winter-green, replaced in late April - early May.

The plant blooms in early summer. Red-brown peduncles reach a height of 60-100 centimeters. The openwork panicle inflorescence consists of a large number of miniature bells. Flower colors can be red, white, pink and white. Red-flowered species are the most common, white-flowered species are less common.

In autumn, fruit boxes with very small seeds appear in place of the buds. There are about 20 thousand seeds in 1 gram.

Types and varieties of heuchera with photos

The genus Heuchera includes more than 70 species of this plant. They, in turn, are divided into mountain and forest species. Of these, the most popular types include the following:

This mountain species is hardy and is considered the ancestor of most heuchera varieties and hybrids.

The leaves are dense, round, jagged at the ends. The color is green or spotted. Some of the varieties are distinguished by light green or cream marbling.

Peduncles reach half a meter in height. Red, white, pink or coral bell buds are collected in a panicle.

The leaves are similar to gooseberry leaves, collected in 15-centimeter rosettes. They have 3 or 5 blades measuring 7 centimeters.

Peduncles 60 centimeters high. The buds are large and snow-white.

The velvety leaves of this species have triangular shape. They are large in size, reaching 20 centimeters. Their ends are pointed. The leaves change color over the course of the season from green to bronze, and in some varieties they are chocolate-colored. The petioles of the leaves and pale pink peduncles are pubescent.

The flowers are white, pink or creamy green.

This species has wedge-shaped leaves. The color is purple, bronze, some varieties have silver speckles. In winter the leaves are rounded, in summer they are branched.

The inflorescence is a panicle 60 centimeters high. The flowers are small, creamy pink. Anthers orange. Buds appear by the end of spring, the plant blooms for 2 months.

This tall species is easy to care for. The leaves are green or coral, with a silver pattern or contrasting veins. The shape is heart-shaped, round.

Peduncles reach 1 meter in height. The flowers are collected in the form of a cylinder, small, delicate colors.

Leaf rosette 20 centimeters high. The leaves are heart-shaped or rounded and brownish-purple in color. At the first autumn frosts, a bright crimson border forms on them.

Peduncles reach half a meter in height. The buds are yellowish-green.

This is an interspecific hybrid obtained by crossing blood red, American and small-flowered varieties. The plants are larger than the blood red variety.

The leaves are often green, with veins of contrasting shades. You can also find speckled varieties with a beautiful cream pattern.

Peduncles are tall. The buds are white, coral or pink. Flowering lasts most of the summer.

Shaky

It is a colorful hybrid with varied foliage colors. The leaves are voluminous.

The flowers are large. Color varies from white to red. Flowering lasts up to 2 months.

About 400 varieties of this beautiful plant are known, the most popular of which include:

This variety is considered one of the most common. The dense leaves have a carved texture. They are collected in a lush basal rosette. Top part the leaf is colored in orange, yellow, bright red and red tones, and the inside is purple.

The height of the peduncles is 30 centimeters. The buds are greenish.

A low, slowly growing bush, no more than 20 centimeters high. Matte leaves are rounded, wavy, and change color as they age. From orange or reddish they become greenish-yellow.

Peduncles are brown. Flowers are coral or red.

Purple bushes are 30 centimeters high and 55 centimeters wide. The leaves have an openwork frame. The purple color does not change throughout the growing season.

Bell-shaped small buds are located on low peduncles. They are collected in panicles and are colored in a light purple hue. Flowers are barely noticeable among the leaves.

The bush reaches a height of 25 centimeters. In spring, pink foliage blooms on the bush; over time, it turns silver. The leaves become silver with black veins. The reverse side of the leaf is lavender in color.

The buds are large, similar to fuchsia. They bloom from June to early September.

Zipper

Multi-colored heuchera is distinguished by orange, golden and amber hues. The leaves change color over time. In spring they are orange, in summer they are golden. The underside of the leaf is purple. Flowering begins in July. The bell buds are cream or white.

The bush is compact and low. The leaves are wavy, coffee-mustard. The edges are jagged. Over time, the color of the leaves acquires green shades.

Peduncles 0.5 meters high. The flowers are small and inconspicuous.

The bush is fast growing, 25 centimeters high.

This fiery beauty changes the color of its large matte leaves. In early spring they are bright red. In summer they are reddish-black, and in autumn they turn burgundy.

The flowers are white buds towering above the bush. Flowering lasts from early June to late July.

The bush is compact, consists of wavy leaves, forming a rosette. In spring, the blossoming leaves are purple-reddish. Over time, they darken and become brighter, more saturated colors. The underside of the leaf is reddish.

Peduncles erect. The buds are small, openwork, snow-white, similar to miniature bells.

The bush is low, grows up to 30 centimeters. Large leaves are golden-orange in color. In spring they turn bright red. Over time they become yellow or amber. The scarlet tint remains on the reverse side.

Flowering is rare but lush. The buds are cream or pale pink.

The bushes reach a meter in height. Wine-colored leaves with silver specks. Flowering lasts from late May to mid-July.

The height of the bush is 20 centimeters, width 30 centimeters. The leaves change color throughout the season from pinkish-green to orange or bright red.

Snow-white flowers Flowering period May - August.

This hybrid has leaves that are purple on top and beetroot-colored underneath. The shape resembles a Norway maple or ivy. In hot summers the leaves turn bronze.

Bell-shaped beige buds are collected in panicles. Peduncles are erect.

This is a hybrid variety that is resistant to heat and cold. The leaves are jagged, rounded, with a delicate edge. They emerge from the rhizome and form a rosette.

The peduncle is smooth, 40 centimeters high. The bell buds are small and red. Flowering lasts up to 3 months.

The shrub is miniature, 25 centimeters high. It is distinguished by the rich dark burgundy color of its heart-shaped foliage. Pink spots are scattered on the leaves.

The plant blooms in early June. The buds resemble small bells.

This is a hardy small-flowered variety. Bush 50 centimeters high. The leaves are large, burgundy-purple with a silver tint. The roots are branched. The flowers are snow-white.

For different varieties heucheras need to choose a suitable place for planting. Most often, a flower needs good lighting with a little darkening.

Some varieties from roast sunlight lose their decorative qualities.

Red and burgundy varieties, on the contrary, prefer bright light, since their leaves turn green in the shade.

Water should not accumulate at the planting site, otherwise the plant will die.

Any soil is suitable for planting, either neutral acidity or slightly alkaline. It should allow water and air to pass well to the roots of the plants. To do this, drainage from coarse sand or fine gravel is poured into the planting holes.

The plant is planted in the ground as seedlings. For these purposes, it is best to take seedlings with a protected root system (in peat pots).

Plants are planted in the ground after the last spring frosts. In warm regions, this procedure can be carried out in the fall. When planting in autumn, the soil must be mulched with ash or bark. In the spring, after the snow melts, the mulch is removed.

Where and how to plant heuchera in the garden: video

The main features of care are fertilizing, watering and hilling.
You need to hill up the bushes in the fall, when preparing them for wintering. In addition, Gerhera requires pruning of flower stalks and foliage.

The inconspicuous flowers of some varieties spoil beautiful view flower beds Therefore, flower stalks are removed immediately after appearance. If the heuchera has already bloomed, then the flowers are removed along with the stems.

Old, dead and dry leaves are cut off in the spring, after young shoots begin to grow.

You can’t prune heuchera in the fall! The old leaves of the flower protect the roots of the plant from freezing.

During the dry period, the heuchera needs to be watered once every 2 days as the soil dries out. In very hot weather, watering is carried out 2 times a day - in the morning and in the evening.

When watering, water should not get on the leaves, otherwise burns will form on them.

If you mulch the ground around the flower with peat in the spring, then in the summer you will not need to frequently loosen the soil and remove weeds.

In the first year of growth, heuchera does not need feeding. You can fertilize the flower a year after planting. Fertilizing is carried out twice a season (before and after flowering). For this purpose, a small amount of complex mineral fertilizers is used.

Reproduction

Heuchera is propagated by seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings. Planting seeds in the ground does not guarantee the preservation of varietal qualities. Therefore, growing plants seedling method considered most suitable.

The viability of heuchera seeds remains for six months after collection. To preserve their viability for a longer period, when harvested, they are placed in a foil envelope and sent to a cool, dark place. In this case, the seeds can be used for 1.5 years. Sowing is done in early spring.

For planting, take a box or container with drainage holes. It is filled with an earth-peat mixture, which is poured with a hot solution of potassium permanganate or foundation. After the moisture has drained into it, you can sow the heuchera.

Before sowing, the seeds are mixed with wet sand. They are distributed on the surface of the soil and covered with glass or transparent film. At a temperature of + 20-22 degrees, the first shoots appear after 2 weeks.

A phytolamp is installed next to the sprouted seedlings for additional lighting.
The soil is moistened as it dries. It should be poured along the edge of the container, the water should not get on the plants.

After 3-4 leaves appear, the plants are planted in peat pots. After the plants have grown and become stronger, they can be planted directly in pots in open ground. Planting takes place at the end of May or June.

The distance between plants is 20-30 centimeters. They need to be planted in holes 30 centimeters deep. First, a layer of drainage is poured onto the bottom of the holes.

By autumn, the first leaf rosettes will form on the plants and they will easily survive the winter.

Dividing the bush

This method is considered the most effective, as it allows you to fully preserve the decorative qualities of the flower.

The plant does not require annual replanting; it is carried out for propagation and rejuvenation of the flower. After 3-5 years, heuchera loses its decorative qualities and the bush falls apart. During this period, the plant requires replanting. It is held in early spring or autumn.

The bush is carefully divided into parts without the use of sharp objects. The roots are checked for diseases and rot, and treated with root and crushed activated carbon or ash. After which the plants are planted in a new place.

To plant cuttings, shoots growing on the sides are taken. They are pruned after the heuchera has finished flowering. The cuttings are cut together with part of the rosette. Long shoots are divided into parts, the length of which should be 3-4 centimeters. The lower sections are treated with a root formation stimulator, and the upper ones with ash or activated carbon.

The cuttings are planted in peat soil and covered transparent film. In a month the plants will take root.

Cuttings that have taken root closer to September are not recommended to be planted in flower beds. They spend the winter in a greenhouse.

Heuchera has good resistance to various pests and diseases. But in rainy weather it can be affected by powdery mildew, spotting, rust and oidium. Fungicides help fight powdery mildew.

Spotting, odium and rust can be eliminated by spraying the plant 2 times a month with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.

Water stagnation, excess organic fertilizers and acidic soil provokes root rot. At the first signs of wilting, it is necessary to cut the rosette down to healthy tissue, leaving a minimum of foliage, and root the resulting cutting in the standard way.

The leaves and roots of the plant can be damaged by slugs, weevils, snails and nematodes. To avoid these problems, the soil around the plants must be sprinkled slaked lime or sawdust soaked in creolin, this repels slugs and snails. Mustard water, which is sprayed on the bush (a spoonful of dry mustard per liter of water), helps against weevils.

In case of severe damage by any insects, you can use insecticides (Aktara, Iskra or Aktellik).

It is strictly forbidden to prune heuchera for the winter. Plants are sprucing up. The soil around is covered with a layer of mulch made from compost or rotted tree bark with the addition of ash. Plants are additionally covered with a layer of dry leaves, sawdust, pine needles or spruce branches.

In spring, the cover and mulch are removed.

Heuchera is used in shrub and flower mixborders. It is used in the design of rock gardens, borders, rockeries, and coastal areas of artificial reservoirs. This plant can hide any problem areas. Heuchera is grown in containers and flowerpots, and decorates terraces, gazebos, and patios. It looks beautiful among ferns, lilies, roses, irises, sedium, speedwell, daylilies, crocuses, chrysanthemums, tulips, brunera, daffodils, astilbe, hosta, primrose, geranium, and ornamental grasses.

Heuchera in landscape design connects other flowers and plants. Among the variety of heuchera varieties, you can easily choose the one that will decorate a particular flower garden and will be combined with other plants.

Heuchera can decorate any garden. This beautiful flower connects other plants and fills in any areas that need touching up. Growing this plant is not difficult. This perennial grows quite quickly and delights with the rich colors of its leaves, and some varieties and flowers.

There are plants that can amaze even the most experienced gardeners with their splendor. One of them is heuchera. The constant decorativeness of its leaves and cute flowers will adequately decorate any garden. Therefore, heuchera is becoming increasingly popular in landscape design. Some consider it an unpretentious plant, others say it is difficult to care for. Let's look at all the intricacies of growing heuchera and draw our own conclusions.

Heuchera is a herbaceous perennial from the saxifrage family. Despite the fact that its homeland is North America, it received its name in honor of the German scientist Johann Heinrich von Heicher.

The plant forms a rosette of leaves near the ground, its diameter can be up to 60 cm, the flower stalks are leafless, reaching 50 cm. Reddish-pink or white small bells form openwork panicles. After flowering, a fruit is formed in the form of a capsule with very small seeds. The leaves are pubescent, rounded-lobed, most often divided into several lobes, serrated along the edges. They are the main decorative value of this plant, as they have various options colors, namely: dark green, red, orange, yellow, brown, burgundy, silver, purple with a silver web.

Types and varieties

In the wild, heucheras are found in two different habitats: forests and mountains. Therefore, initially they can be divided into two large type. Forest plants quickly adapt to garden conditions with nutritious and moderately moist soils, since these conditions are close to their natural ones. For mountain species that live in rocky areas, soils rich in organic matter and overly moist will be destructive. They need to create certain conditions.

Modern breeders have created species that are more unpretentious and highly adaptable.

Blood red heuchera (H.sanguinea)- This is a fairly hardy mountain species that feels great in our conditions. In the wild, its flowers are reddish in color, hence its nickname Coral Bells - “red bell”. This species was the first to be used by breeders in their work. They created varieties with more powerful, strong peduncles and branched inflorescences. The color of the flowers has a wide range: from white to dark red. Abundant flowering persists almost all summer. The leaves of this species differ in density; their color can be simply dark green or with silver spots and veins, and sometimes with beige or white specks. It handles our winters well. Prefers partial shade and well-drained soil. Drought-resistant, but suffers in sunny places.

This species is represented by the following varieties: Alba, Robusta, Splendens, Snowstorm, Splish-Splash, as well as the Bressingham Hybrids varietal group.

Heuchera hairy (H.villosa)- this is already a representative of the forest. The name is due distinctive feature- large velvety leaves, as well as pubescent peduncles and petioles. It has greenish-cream, unremarkable small flowers. But one of its natural varieties, “Bronze Wave,” is a record holder among purple-leaved heucheras, since its bronze-colored leaves can have a diameter of up to 20 cm. Since this is a forest species, it requires soil rich in moisture and humus. Accordingly, it grows well in partial shade. Varietal plants of this species may have light green, purple or bronze leaves. A famous variety is Palace Purple.

Heuchera blood red variety"Splendens"
Heuchera pilosa Variety “Bronze Wave”

Heuchera cylindrical (H.cylindrica)- a hardy mountain species, characterized by relatively small leaves and quite large flowers. The leaves are round in shape with blunt teeth and have a silver pattern or contrasting veins. Cylindrical inflorescences are located on high (from 60 to 90 cm) peduncles. In nature, bell flowers are greenish-beige. The color of different varieties can be beige, pink, coral, green. This species requires good drainage and grows in sun and partial shade. Varieties of heuchera cylindrical: Green Ivory, Greenfinch, Hyperion.

Heuchera americana Variety “Green Spice”

Heuchera americana (H. americana) - a representative of forest edges, its second name is mountain geranium. The flowers are completely unremarkable yellow-green, and its main advantage is the large, jagged leaves of variegated color. Silver spots and purple veins look unusual against a green background; the whole thing can also be purple Bottom part leaf. Some varieties have a red-crimson stripe along the edge of the leaf, but this phenomenon can only be observed in regions with warm winters.

The most spectacular representative of this species is the Green Spice variety.

Heuchera small-flowered (H.micrantha)- has tall (up to 70 cm) brownish peduncles, on which small beige flowers are collected in openwork panicles. The leaves of this species are beautiful, somewhat reminiscent of the familiar Norway maple. An interesting detail: the winter foliage of this plant is round, and the summer foliage is lobed. The color is traditionally dark green with beautiful silver spots, but there are varieties with purple foliage. Breeders tried to diversify the color of the leaves to black-brown and rich purple-bronze. Prominent representatives this type is Palace Purple and Bresslngham Bronze. Soils need to be well moistened, with a small addition of organic matter.

Hybrid Heuchera (Heuchera x hybrida)- Scientists have created hybrid species of Heuchera. Thus, as a result of crossing blood-red, American and small-flowered heuchera, a species called heuchera shaken (H. x brisoides) was obtained. As a result, we achieved longer flowering, as well as fairly large leaves and flowers. The colors of the new species of plants are white, pink and various shades of red. Green leaves with contrasting veins and specks. A small drawback is that heavy flower panicles can be blown over by the wind.

Heuchera small-flowered variety "Palace Purple"
Heuchera hybrid

Complex hybrids were obtained as a result of crossing Heuchera small-flowered, American, hairy and others, they were combined into the species American hybrids (H. x americana).

Preparing for landing

The best time to plant heuchera is the first half of spring. First you need to choose a location. Because the root system They have a superficial one; this plant does not tolerate drought or stagnation of water. Because of this, low-lying areas are not suitable for them. An important point is illumination. Among heucheras there are more and less light-loving varieties. However, none of them prefer direct sunlight. If you don't know what variety you have, then ideal place there will be openwork partial shade. Also, the area should be well ventilated, but without drafts.

After we have chosen a place for planting, it is necessary to prepare good drainage (we use fine gravel, expanded clay, broken brick, coarse sand, etc.). Heucheras cannot tolerate summer stagnation of water, although they cope well with spring flooding. In addition to good drainage, the soil in the planting hole must be sufficiently moisture-absorbing (otherwise the plant will suffer from a lack of water), light and breathable. On heavy clay soils It is imperative to add humus based on straw or sawdust, crushed tree bark, finely chopped straw, wood chips, sand, and perlite. Organic and mineral fertilizers you need to apply half as much as usual for other plants.

The required soil acidity also depends on the type of plant. Forest heucheras and their varieties prefer a slightly acidic (pH up to 6.3) or neutral reaction and are quite nutrient soil. And mountain species and their varieties prefer neutral and slightly alkaline soil, so ash can be added to the holes for them. It will not only reduce the acidity of the soil, but also add the necessary microelements.

If you are planting a seedling purchased in a store, inspect it carefully. If there is a large amount of foliage and a poorly developed root system, some of the largest leaves must be removed. So the plant will have more strength settle down in a new place. Please note that the middle of the socket should not be covered with earth. The approximate distance between seedlings is 20-25 cm.

Propagation by seeds

It is not difficult to propagate heuchera from seeds. But two points should be taken into account. First: seeds do not transmit parental external characteristics(colors and shapes), a simple green-leaved bush may even grow. Very few of these plants will look like the parent or the picture in the bag. Second: after collection, heuchera seeds can only be viable for six months. Because of this, be careful when purchasing seeds, especially the packaging date. It should be noted that in special vacuum packaging their shelf life can be extended to one and a half years.

For sowing, prepare a container with sides and always with drainage holes. Prepare loose, nutritious soil (30% sand or perlite) with neutral acidity. The prepared soil must be sterilized (in microwave oven, pour boiling water over it or hold it over steam). When it has cooled, moisten it well (but it should remain crumbly), pour it into a prepared container and compact it. We sow the seeds carefully and, if possible, evenly over the entire surface of the soil.

Getting to know this one better a wonderful plant, like lupine, every gardener will want to plant it on his plot....

To make this easier, mixing the seeds with a small amount of dry sand will help. Since heuchera seeds are very small (similar to poppy seeds), there is no need to bury them. After sowing, cover the container with transparent film or glass and place it in a bright place. For this, the window sill is not a very good solution, since it is cold there and there is direct sunlight. The seedlings will germinate in about three weeks. The soil should not be allowed to dry out, nor should it become excessively waterlogged. From time to time you need to ventilate the seedlings by opening them for 20 minutes, and after 10 days the cover can be completely removed. When 3-4 leaves appear, the seedlings need to be picked. Planted in the ground in June, after hardening off the seedlings.

It is also possible to plant seeds in open ground before winter. After the first freezing of the soil, shallow grooves are made in it and heuchera seeds mixed with fine sand are evenly distributed. The landing site needs to be fenced off with something. and put spruce branches, straw or other covering material on this fence. This is necessary so that in the spring the young shoots that appear at the end of May are not raked with the covering material.

Dividing the bush

One of the features of heuchera is its rapid aging. Therefore, the plant needs to be rejuvenated periodically (about once every three years). This should be done when new leaves have already appeared, but flowering has not yet begun. The plant is dug up, divided into parts (everything that is dried and unhealthy is cut off) and planted in pre-prepared holes.

Heuchera can also be propagated by cuttings. They are settling in very well. To do this, take the tops of the cuttings (3-7 cm) and plant them in the shade in suitable light soil, water them well and cover them with large PET containers with a cut bottom (leave the lid open). It is necessary to ensure that the soil does not dry out. The cuttings will take root in about a month, and the bottles can be removed in another two weeks. These young seedlings should be covered for the winter.

Basic rules of care

Pests and diseases

Despite being quite demanding in care, heucheras are practically not susceptible to disease. Problems can be caused by excess moisture and organic matter, as well as increased acidity soil. These factors can cause spotting or powdery mildew. But if you follow the rules of care, problems should not arise.

Heuchera pests include slugs and snails. They need to be collected from young plants by hand late in the evening (since they hide during the day) or use metaldehyde.

For prevention, young plants can be powdered with ash.

The value of heuchera in landscape design is its high decorativeness. long time. From the moment young leaves grow until frost, it will maintain the beauty of your garden.

Heuchera will be the highlight of any flower bed and goes well with a variety of plants. Since it does not like direct sunlight, you can plant the plant along the fence; this option is especially good for, where you need to take care of selecting shade-loving plants.

These beauties are good in a mono-planting when their varieties with different leaf colors are combined. Therefore, no matter how much trouble it takes to care for them, they will fully repay it with their unique, mysterious charm.

Heuchera (lat. Heuchera)- a genus of rhizomatous herbaceous perennials of the Saxifraga family, the cultivated species and varieties of which are extremely in demand today in landscape design. Heuchera received its name in honor of Johann Heinrich von Heucher, a German botanist and doctor. Heuchera comes from the rocky regions of North America and is a compact bush up to half a meter tall, attracting the eye with its luxurious, exquisite leaves. Heuchera is a plant for gourmets, because during one growing season it can change the color of its leaves, more than once. No other crop is distinguished by such a palette of shades and so many options for their combinations as heuchera, and especially its modern variegated varieties.

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Planting and caring for heuchera (in brief)

• Landing: in spring, March or April.
• Bloom: from June to August.
• Lighting: bright diffused light, partial shade.
• The soil: moisture-intensive, well-drained with a pH of 5.0-6.0.
• Watering: regular, as the soil dries - once every 2-3 days, in dry weather - twice a day.
• Feeding: from the second year before and after flowering with liquid mineral complexes in half the dose.
• Reproduction: seeds, dividing the bush, green cuttings.
• Pests: weevils, leaf nematodes, butterfly caterpillars, snails and slugs.
• Diseases: gray rot, spotting, rust, powdery mildew.

Read more about growing heuchera below.

Heuchera flower - description

The dense bush of heuchera is formed by leathery, serrated leaves on long cuttings. The shape and color of the leaves is amazingly diverse: almost black, bright red, dark burgundy, amber, pink, purple, yellow, green and even silver leaves in all kinds of patterns and veins, specks and spots. The texture of the leaves is smooth, corrugated and curly. Heuchera blooms all summer, and even until frost, with small pink, white, cream or red bells collected in panicles. The heuchera fruit is a capsule in which seeds the size of a poppy seed ripen (about 20,000 seeds fit in 1 gram).

Heuchera has been used in landscape design for a long time. Designers divide heuchera varieties into two categories: decorative-deciduous, the ancestor of which was American heuchera, and decorative-flowering, such as red or blood-red heuchera.

Features of growing heuchera

There are no obvious features or difficulties in growing heuchera, but this plant does have character traits, which will not hurt you to know. So:

• for decorative deciduous varieties of heuchera, if you do not have the goal of collecting seeds in the fall, it is better to remove the peduncle as soon as it appears: they grow much higher than the bush and have an unkempt appearance, which damages the decorative qualities of the plant;
• peduncles of decorative flowering varieties are removed immediately after the heuchera fades;
• Over time, the lower leaves on the bush fall off, and the heuchera looks untidy. You need to dig up the plant before flowering and transplant it together with the earthen ball into a deeper hole to hide the bald stem;
• at the beginning of growth, young heuchera leaves are bright and translucent, like flower petals, but as they mature, they thicken and darken;
• Heuchera goes well with primroses, daylilies, astilbe, bergenia and ornamental cereals.

In the photo: Variegated leaves of heuchera

Planting heuchera

When to plant heuchera

Heuchera is planted in March or April. Heuchera has good shade tolerance, so the best place for her - in the partial shade of other plants, where diffused light will fall on her. The best option is the eastern or western side, where direct sunlight falls only in the morning or evening. If this is not possible, and you have to plant it in the sun, then you need to provide the heuchera with regular and more abundant watering.

By the way, varieties with brightly colored leaves in an open sunny area become even brighter and more spectacular. And varieties with red leaves must grow in the sun, otherwise their leaves will remain green in the shade.

Heuchera is not picky when choosing soil; it can grow on any soil except acidic soil, the optimal pH is 5-6. Even a rocky area does not frighten the plant, because in nature, in its homeland, it covers the rocky shores of the Great Lakes. But the more fertile and loose the soil, the more attractive and lush the heuchera. Great importance has moisture capacity and, at the same time, good drainage of the soil on the site. Heuchera does not tolerate stagnation of water in the roots.

How to plant heuchera

There are two methods of planting - seeds and seedlings. Heuchera seeds are simply sown in loose prepared soil and planted. But we remind you that seed propagation is not the best way, since it does not preserve the species and varietal characteristics of the mother plant, and at best, you will grow a simple heuchera with green leaves.

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Heuchera flowers are quite popular among gardeners and are widely used in landscape design. This herbaceous perennial came to us from the countries of North America, and it was named in honor of the German botanist Johann Heinrich von Heucher. This crop is in demand by gardeners, first of all, for its decorative functions. The leaves of the plant have the property of changing their color several times during the growing season, which makes it possible to use heuchera in a wide variety of applications. flower arrangements.

Often, even before botanists, the plant is discovered and used in medicine and cooking by ordinary people. Heuchera is also no exception - it was once used as a remedy. The Indians, for example, applied crushed boiled geranium roots to wounds and ulcers; a decoction from them could be used for fever and diarrhea. The North American equivalent of the name heuchera among the British is spotted geranium.

The famous botanist Carl Clusius once described a plant brought from eastern North America, with the name Podlesnik Mountain. This was the first description of the current heuchera in the literature. It is known that already at the beginning of the 17th century this plant was cultivated in French gardens. One of the first images of heuchera, made in 1698, with the inscription “Cortusa americana floribus herbidis”, is preserved in the Natural History Museum in London.

Much later, other species of the Heuchera family were discovered and described. For example, in one of the first books dedicated to North American wild flora, Flora Americae Septentrionalis, published in 1984. The famous collector David Douglas, traveling along the Columbia River to the lands of the current state of Washington, for the first time compiled a herbarium of Heuchera cylindrical and small-flowered. In the works of famous American botanists John and Gray Torrey, 15 species of heuchera are described in detail.

Types of Heuchera

The genus contains up to 70 species, widespread in North America. This is a perennial rhizomatous herb up to half a meter tall. The leaves converge in a five to nine lobed basal rosette, jagged in shape. Plants have numerous flower stalks that grow and bloom at different times. The flowers are small, pink, reddish, snow-white, woven into paniculate inflorescences up to 20 centimeters long. The fruit is a capsule weighing one gram with up to 20,000 seeds.

Planting heuchera

Heuchera is completely unpretentious regarding growing conditions. The normal location for the plant is in the shade of tree crowns or accessible only to morning sunlight. Placing heuchera around the perimeter will be quite successful. orchard or a shrub group - in addition to a suitable lighting regime, the heuchera will have a shelter of fallen leaves every year.

Types and varieties of heuchera exhibit decorative properties in different ways - leaf color, abundance and flowering period depend on the heating and illumination of the area.

Heuchera pilosa loves partial shade. Shadow has an adverse effect on the growth and development of heuchera species and varieties: bushes fall apart, become sparse, and silvery forms often die. At least an hour should be under the morning sun rays such silver-purple and purple varieties as:

• Cappuccino,
• Pewter Veil
• Chocolate Ruffles,
• Molly Bush

The latter preserves the intense color of the sheet better than Palace Purple.

For the heuchera variety with yellow-orange leaves, Marmalade is considered more persistent, however, Amber Waves requires light from the cool morning sun, in the shade from the merciless afternoon rays.

A moisture-intensive, well-drained, slightly loamy or medium-loamy soil environment is optimal for the plant.

All kinds of heuchera varieties, based on their origin, can be symbolically divided into mountain ones (for example, offspring blood red heuchera) and forest (for example, South American hybrids). The former are the most drought-resistant and cannot tolerate stagnant water and excess organic matter, while the latter love rich soil. Poor soil before planting them improved by adding humus.

To ensure the best air and water permeability, it is recommended to add coarse sand, small expanded clay, gravel or perlite, and crushed bark to the soil when planting and mulching plants. The plant normally accepts alkaline soil (pH up to 8.5), although the suitable acidity level is within the range of 5.6-6.4 pH, and the soil is close to neutral.

It’s better to buy heuchera with closed root system, the size of the bush does not affect great influence for survival. Suitable time for planting is from April to August, planted in the most late dates plants often suffer from winter negatively, not having time to adapt to a new place.

Beautiful bushes of blooming heuchera

Heuchera care

Growing heuchera will not cause much trouble. In the spring, the rhizomes of plants often end up on the surface of the ground and need to be buried. As young leaves grow, old, wilting ones are eliminated. It is recommended to mulch the bushes annually with crushed tree bark, which will help keep the soil wet and prevent the rhizomes from becoming exposed.

Fertilizer to complex mineral supplements carry out half the recommended concentration three times a season: in early May, when the rosette of leaves is completely renewed, in early July, and in early September. Heucheras are watered evenly and exclusively in hot weather, not allowing drops to fall on the leaves to protect against sunburn. Varieties with silver leaves are more drought-resistant than others.

The plant needs rejuvenation once every five years. A signal about the need for the procedure is exposure in the center of the rosette and the collapse of the bush. At the beginning of May, when the plant unfurls young leaves but has not yet bloomed, the bushes are dug up, the roots are washed and carefully divided with a sharp knife or pruning shears (you can use your hands) so that a separate part has two or three rosettes. The divided parts are planted at intervals of 20 - 30 centimeters.

Preparing for winter consists of hilling heuchera with a mixture of peat or humus with crushed bark or river sand. There is no need to cut off the leaves. Heuchera variety gooseberry-leaved is quite winter-hardy in middle lane RF. Most of Heuchera species are also winter-hardy, but young plants planted this year, as well as light-leaved varieties, should be loosely covered with leaf litter, for example, oak, which does not rot quickly.

Heuchera pests and diseases

Heuchera is enough resistant to pests and diseases. Significant damage to the plant is caused by slugs and snails, as well as butterfly caterpillars. Heuchera diseases are often caused by negative growing conditions. Too much wet soil, low level of acidity, oversaturation with organic substances, dense covering with leaves for the winter can lead to rotting of the rhizome. In such a situation, the rosette is cut off to healthy tissue and transplanted into a mixture of perlite or sand and peat.

The plant reproduces successfully both by sowing seeds and vegetatively - by crushing the bush and cuttings. Heuchera seeds do not need stratification, although you should not save them for more than six months. Sow or immediately after collection, or already in the spring, V small greenhouse, on the surface of a loose substrate:

Shoots appear within two to three weeks.

When the seedlings form a pair of true leaves, they are planted in beds or boxes depending on the time of year. Plants are planted in the soil in May or early June. Young heuchera varieties in the garden should be provided with a feeding area of ​​20 by 20 centimeters. Seedlings bloom in the third year.

Bushes separated in early May, since in the fall the divisions, as a rule, do not take root well and fall out winter period. Each young plant should have up to five rosettes or properly developed buds. The interval when planting in a flower garden is twenty centimeters, the planting depth is up to the leaf rosette or with a margin of three centimeters of the stem above ground level.

During crushing, pieces of stems without obvious roots, or cuttings, often appear. It’s good if there is a heel - a piece of rhizome. However, cuttings without heels can be used throughout the growing season without disturbing the growth of the plant.

Optimal Dates for cuttings: end of May, before the heuchera blooms, and August, when the plant has bloomed. The cuttings are treated with a catalyst for the formation of a root system (for example, Kornevin) and strengthened in a mixture of perlite or peat and sand under a transparent cap. The roots appear within three to four weeks, after a month the young plants are ready to be planted in the flower garden, however, if the cuttings are taken in August, they are not replanted, but are covered with leaves and branches of spruce branches for the winter.

Use of heuchera

Heuchera is good in the curb planting, and due to its relative moisture-loving properties - for the design of a reservoir. Excellent companions will be not only plants with a similar appearance - mantle, geranium, but also small varieties of iris or cereals. Nowadays, the work of breeders is not so much in decorating the leaf, but in increasing the size of the flower. Cut flower stalks of the plant will decorate the interior for three weeks.