Description of the Heuchera plant, advice on planting and care in open ground, how to reproduce, possible diseases and pests during cultivation, curious notes, species.
Heuchera (Heuchera) belongs to the genus of perennials with a herbaceous form of growth and belonging to the Saxifragaceae family. This genus is the most extensive of the entire family; its native distribution area is the lands of North America and Mexico. So in the first case, there are up to 32 varieties, and the Mexican species, scientists have identified only five units. Many of these representatives of the flora prefer mountainous areas and river banks. But some of the Heucheras “chose” more extreme territories for their habitat. For example, the large Heuchera (Heuchera maxima) grows on completely exposed to the sun coastal cliffs located in the Channel Islands of California. But the blood-red Heuchera (Heuchera sanguinea), which has chosen the dry and warm Arizona canyons.
| Family name | Saxifrage |
| Growth type | Perennial |
| Plant features | Rhizome herbaceous |
| Breeding method | Dividing an overgrown bush, rooting cuttings, sowing seeds |
| Open ground planting time | Rooted cuttings, planted in late spring |
| Disembarkation scheme | When planting in a school, the distance between seedlings is 7-8 cm |
| Priming | Weakly alkaline or neutral, light and permeable, nutritious |
| Illumination | Bright sunny place or light partial shade |
| Moisture indicators | Moderate watering is needed, drainage is mandatory |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.5m to 1m |
| Color of flowers | Snow white, red, pinkish or green |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Paniculata |
| Flowering time | June-August, but sometimes until the end of October |
| Decorative time | Spring-autumn |
| Place of application | Ceremonial flower beds, decoration of central paths, rockeries, rock gardens and stone gardens |
| USDA zone | 5–9 |
The plant bears its scientific name thanks to the doctor and botanist from Germany - Johann Heinrich von Heicher (1677–1746), who provided the first description. You can often hear such names as heuhera or "spotted geranium".
The height of the geychera does not exceed half a meter, sometimes it reaches a meter. Since the decorativeness of this rhizome perennial begins in early spring and can last until the onset of autumn cold weather, it is recommended to plant it in ceremonial flower beds, plant borders and paths with it, places between stones in rock gardens or rockeries.
The leaf plates are mainly located in the root zone; they have elongated petioles. A dense bush is formed from such leaves. The foliage surface is leathery, with a serrated edge. Both the shape and color of the leaf plates are very diverse: almost black in color, bright red, dark purple, with an amber tint and pinkish, purple tones and golden yellow, green and often silver. In this case, the upper side of the leaf can be decorated with a variety of patterns, veins, specks and specks. The texture of foliage can be smooth to the touch, with a corrugated or even curly surface.
During flowering, which stretches over all summer months, and often even to the very frost, paniculate inflorescences form, in which a large number of small flowers of various colors gather: whitish, red, pinkish or green. The outlines of the corolla of the flowers are bell-shaped.
After pollination, the fruits of heuchera ripen, represented by a box filled with small seeds. They are somewhat reminiscent of poppy seeds, since 1 gram can contain up to 20,000 seeds.
Usually, in landscape design, all varieties of heuchera are divided into the following categories:
- Decorative foliage, derived from the American Heuchera (Heuchera americana).
- Ornamental-flowering - a prominent representative is the blood-red Heuchera sanguinea species.
Tips for planting and caring for Heuchera outdoors
- Selection of a place for planting spotted geraniums. In order for the plant to please with its appearance, it is important to immediately choose the right place where the Heuchera will be planted. This is because the brightness of the lighting will directly affect the brightness of the foliage shades, the splendor of the flowering and how long the leaf rosette will remain fresh. Since, due to the color of the foliage, some heuhers need to be planted in the sun (variegated forms with light spots), and others in shade (with green or crimson leaves), there can be no uniform recommendations here. Most of these plants will feel good in the openwork penumbra created by the crowns of tall trees. It is especially welcome when the direct rays of the sun hit such flower beds early in the morning. In any case, for young bushes, it is better that an area with a good level of illumination is torn up, and such representatives of saxifrage do not like cold, wind and drafts. It is important that moisture does not accumulate in the spotted geranium planting site, both after the snow cover melts and during heavy rainfall.
- Soil selection for planting heuchera is not difficult, since under natural conditions it grows on a rocky and nutrient-poor substrate. Therefore, light and well-drained soil with permeability to air and water, as well as nutritious, is suitable for it. If the soil is heavy, then it is recommended to add a third of coarse sand to it or mix fine gravel into it. The acidity of the substrate should be neutral or slightly alkaline with a pH of 6, 5 to 8. If the acidity is elevated, the soil is deoxidized by mixing with ash or dolomite flour.
- Landing heuhera. It is important to remember that stagnant moisture will greatly harm the rhizome of this herbaceous shrub, therefore, up to 5 cm of drainage material must be laid in the hole before planting. It can be medium-sized crushed stone, pebbles or expanded clay. If those are not at hand, then you can crush the brick to the desired size. After the bush is planted, it is recommended to sprinkle the fleshy rhizome with a substrate consisting of garden soil and fine expanded clay or coarse river sand. This will protect against decay. Since after 3-5 years the heuchera bush begins to fall apart, and its central part is not aesthetically exposed, it is recommended to rejuvenate the plant by dividing it into parts.
- Watering. Since the natural habitats of heuhera are rocky shores, a large amount of moisture can quickly destroy the plant. Humidification should be moderate, while the shrub calmly tolerates short-term drying of the soil. If the weather is hot and dry in summer, it is recommended to water the spotted geranium once a week, but very abundantly.
- Fertilizers for Heuchera. Again, it all comes down to the natural habitat of this ornamental shrub. Since rocky soils are not very nutritious, fertilizing will only be needed occasionally. You can use full mineral complexes, for example, Kemiru Universal, but the dosage is halved from that indicated on the package. Overloading with nutrients can also harm the plant, as well as flooding of soil. Organics, if used, are in very small doses.
- General tips for caring for a heuhera. Once a year, it is recommended to hilling the bushes of spotted geraniums, since when their bases grow, they begin to rise above the soil level, and best of all, when the fleshy rhizome is covered with a substrate. For normal wintering, heuchera bushes, while they are young, it is better to organize a shelter, which can be oak foliage. Leaves are not cut off with the arrival of autumn, as this can lead to the death of the entire shrub. This is due to the fact that the plant will retain heat only thanks to the overgrown leaf outlet. But the inflorescences and leaf plates, which will dry out by spring, must be cut off. In the autumn months, before the arrival of winter, you can mulch the soil under the bushes, peat mixed with humus can act as mulch. The same operation is carried out with the onset of spring.
Often, site decorators use heuhera not only in the places indicated above, the following options for its use are also possible:
- for planting in mixborders, where not only flower crops are grown, but also trees and shrubs;
- since after wintering, heuchera retains its deciduous rosette, the bushes are planted next to bulbous crops blooming in early spring;
- used for cutting if the variety has a beautiful color of flowers;
- as a container culture;
- when decorating the shores of natural or artificial reservoirs.
As a companion for spotted geraniums, you can pick up roses, irises or daylilies, as well as hosts, astilbe and brunner. Colored foliage next to the plantings of primrose and bergenia will look good, and the planted ornamental cereals are also suitable.
How to breed Heuchera?
Like any herbaceous perennial, spotted geranium can be propagated by sowing seeds, rooting cuttings, and dividing an overgrown bush.
The simplest and fastest is the division of the heuhera bush, since several well-developed seedlings can be obtained at once. The division is performed in late spring or summer. The bush (which must be at least 3-4 years old) is removed from the soil using a garden pitchfork and the rhizome is cut into 3-4 parts with a sharpened knife. Each of the divisions should have a sufficient number of regeneration buds and roots.
When the stem of the heuchera is bare, it is shortened to young tissue, and the shoots that have dried out must be cut off to live brood buds (they are small in size) formed in the leaf axils of dried foliage. If the roots are too long, it is recommended to trim them a little. If roots are found that look affected by putrefactive processes, they are carefully cut to a healthy place. All sections are sprinkled with charcoal or activated carbon powder.
You can plant in pots or select a bed in shade. The holes for the heuchera plots are dug out with a size of 30x30 cm right before planting so that the soil does not dry out in them. The distance between the pits is about 7–8 cm. It's a good idea to put a little drainage layer on the bottom. Then a little ash and any compost or mineral fertilizer are placed in it, only then spotted geranium is placed. A young plant is watered abundantly (any root formation stimulant can be diluted in water), and until it takes root, it is shaded from direct sunlight. When 40-50 days have passed, the delenki will release a sufficient number of root processes, after which you can transplant to a suitable place.
If the bush has not yet grown too much, then reproduction is carried out using cuttings. Heuchera cut off a young leaf rosette from the mother plant, and part of the foliage is removed from it, so that too intensive evaporation of moisture from the surface of the leaves does not occur. Then the outlet is planted in the same way as in the above method in the school. The time for propagation by cuttings of spotted geraniums is suitable in both May and June, until the plant begins to bloom. Since the cuttings do not yet have root processes, it will be necessary to build a mini-greenhouse from plastic canisters or metal arcs, on which a plastic film is stretched. Shading is required without fail. After 20-30 days, you can notice the formation of young leaves on the heuhera seedlings, which will confirm rooting.
For seed propagation, the material must be fresh - the shelf life should not exceed six months. Sow the seeds into a wide pot with water drains. The soil is taken loose, with the addition of river sand. The soil is sterilized before sowing. Heuchera seeds are sown in early spring. Since the seed is small, it is mixed with sand and spread over the surface of the moistened substrate. After that, the container is covered with glass or a plastic bag.
The pot with crops is placed on the windowsill, but away from the draft. Care consists in airing, but even after 14–20 days, when shoots appear, the shelter is not removed, but only slightly shifted. After the third leaf unfolds on the seedlings, a pick is made, leaving 4–6 cm between the plant sprouts. During germination and subsequent care, the soil should not dry out or be flooded.
By mid-May, heuhera seedlings are taken out into the open air and buried in partial shade into the ground. This will help to strengthen them. By winter, young plants will have formed leaf rosettes, they will be able to hibernate without shelter, but spruce branches or oak leaves are placed on top of them to keep the snow.
Possible diseases and pests of Heuchera when growing
The plant is very loved by flower growers, since it is rarely attacked by harmful insects, although occasionally with high humidity it can suffer from:
- powdery mildewwhen the foliage is covered with a whitish bloom, resembling a lime solution;
- rust - with this disease, spots of an orange-red hue appear on the leaves, the affected leaves begin to turn yellow ahead of time and fly around;
- gray rot - manifested in the form of brown specks on the foliage, devoid of bordering, but soon gray spots will appear on their surface - this is a plaque representing the spores of the fungus;
- spotting, as a result of which areas appear on the leaves of a reddish-brown, white or brown-black color, they indicate the death of tissues.
The cause of these diseases is stagnation of moisture in the root system of Heuchera, as well as too dense soil and lack of drainage. With powdery mildew, it is recommended to treat with fungicidal preparations - Fitosporin-M or Fundazol. If signs of spotting or rust appear, then heuhera bushes must be sprayed with Bordeaux liquid, Cuprikol or Abiga peak. Against gray rot, both these and other means, like Topaz, Skor or Tsikhom, can be suitable.
Most of all in the garden, spotted geraniums can annoy snails, slugs, as well as weevils and leaf nematodes. In case of detection of gastropods, you can use drugs such as Meta-Groza, and other pests will be destroyed by insecticidal agents - Aktara, Actellik or Fitorverm.
Curious notes about the Heuchera plant
Heuchera was first described in the 18th century by the botanist Heucher, but it was popularly called "purple bells" or "spotted geraniums". At the same time, the plant was actively used in folk medicine. There are many varieties, and the height of the bush directly depends on this - there are completely tiny bushes up to a meter in height of the stems.
At the beginning of the 20th century, botanists from France, the Lemoine brothers, developed a large number of hybrid varieties by crossing species and garden forms. Based on the data obtained, breeder from England Alan Blum continued to work in the field of breeding new varieties of spotted geranium.
Types of Heuchera flower
All varieties that are common in floriculture today are obtained by crossing just a few varieties:
American Heuchera (Heuchera americana),
in which leafy rosettes have a spectacular color with a brownish-purple foliage back, but the inflorescences do not attract attention at all.
Heuchera hairy (Heuchera villos)
differs in pleasant velvety pubescence of leaf plates and fluffy flowering stems.
Heuchera blood-red (Heuchera sanguinea),
which in her native lands is called "purple bell", as the tall paniculate inflorescences collected attractive flowers with petals of a bright carmine shade. Sheet plates are characterized by a carved edge and density. At the same time, the species can perfectly tolerate wintering in central Russia.
Based on these species, the most popular garden varieties are:
Silverleaf
heuchers serve as a wonderful contrasting background for other garden plantings, making the garden look like a Mediterranean landscape. On the leaves, the main background of which is still a dark green tone, there is a touch of a silvery color scheme and veins of a white or bluish tint. Because of this, the bushes are distinguished by an exquisite look and sophistication. Among such plants, the following are in special demand:
- "Mint Frost" - plants, characterized by a greenish tone of foliage, speckled with light veins.
- "Stormy Seas" - the bush has an attractive outline that is somewhat like the depths of the sea during a storm. Lilac-violet leaf plates with a silvery sheen are decorated with dark graphite veins.
- "Can Can" - a plant of miniature size, the rosette of which is made up of leaves with a corrugated brick-colored surface. They are decorated with silver spotting, while the reverse side of the leaves has a beetroot color.
- "Regina" - this bush attracts attention with rosettes of leaves of a gray-silver tone.
Red-leaved varietal
geykhera are distinguished by leaves with reddish, crimson, burgundy, cherry shades:
- "Purple Palace" or Purple castle … The variety has been known for a very long time, as it fell in love with flower growers for the large size of the leaves of a purple tone.
- "Black Bird" forms a bush of large maroon leaf plates, their color is so dark that sometimes it seems just black. It is used in flower arrangements as an accent plant.
- "Cherry Cola" - the foliage of this plant has reddish-brown tones. At the same time, the inflorescences that rise on peduncles are lush, composed of pink flowers.
Yellow-leaved heucher
mainly represented by the following varieties:
- "Marmelade" - the rosette is composed of yellowish-orange leaves, with a red back;
- "Key Lime Pie" or Lime Pie - attracts the eye with lemon-toned foliage, which looks spectacular in flower beds placed in the shade;
- Citronelle - the rosette consists of yellowish leaves that will catch the eye in contrast to other garden plantings with green foliage.
Original spotted varieties of Heuchera:
- "Midnight Rose" or Midnight rose, is a plant with leaves with pink dots on the main purple background.
- "Color Dream" - foliage of this variety can take on the greatest number of shades, which can vary from purple to silvery green.
- "Hercules" - a plant that has proven itself perfectly when grown in flower beds open to the direct sun. At the same time, there is a rather rapid build-up of juicy green leaf plates with spots and specks of various sizes of a marble-whitish tone, resembling splashes of waves.
Video about growing heuchera:
