Heuchera sanguinea

Coral bells is an erect, clump-forming perennial in the Saxifragaceae family. The genus name Heuchera is in honor of the 18th-century German physician, botanist, and medicinal plant expert Johann Heinrich von Heucher. Sanguinea means ‘blood red’ and refers to the color of the flowers.

This plant is appreciated for its interesting green, heart-shaped or roundish leaves, and its upright panicles of tiny bright pink to red flowers which appear in late spring and last through early summer.  The flowers are a nectar source for bees and hummingbirds.  Plant it in the full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil with high organic content.  It is intolerant clay soils.  Water it well during dry periods and remove spent flower stalks to encourage flowering.  Use this plant for edging, along border fronts, or massing as ground cover.

Heuchera sanguinea var. pulchra is a dwarf subspecies, only 8″ tall, that grows with fuschia-pink flowers in the mountains of Arizona. It will grow in full sun but does best in dappled shade with well-drained soil.