The Colorful Evergreen You Should Plant In The Fall To Enjoy Next Spring And Summer

As you plan your spring garden in the fall, you're likely seeking plants that will reward your fall efforts. You may be looking at color, ease of care, long bloom time, unique appearance, appeal to pollinators, and year-round interest. An evergreen perennial might just fill the bill, and it's hard to go wrong with the 50 species in the genus Heuchera, also known as coral bells and alum root, a dainty plant that attracts beautiful hummingbirds and butterflies to your yard. The star of the heuchera show is colorful foliage, available in a reddish-purple, brown, orange, yellow, and more colors. Playing a supporting role in many species are tiny, delicate flowers — the coral bells — hovering over the foliage on slender stems.

Like most perennials, heuchera plants benefit from being planted in the fall, so they can establish themselves by spring. The gorgeous plant offers enough positive attributes to make that fall planting worthwhile. Heuchera blooms for the entire growing season, beginning in June, and foliage colors may get more intense when the plants are in full sun. You can deadhead and trim your heucheras in late summer to give them new life. They can function in any type of soil except clay. You can plant them in containers and in the ground; they even work as a colorful ground cover that thrives in morning sun and afternoon shade. They are easy to propagate from cuttings and especially easy to divide. Heuchera is also deer and rabbit resistant.

Heuchera add color and charm to your spring garden

To introduce heuchera to your spring garden, plant in the fall in rich, moist, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic. Amending the soil with organic matter should provide enough nutrients so that fertilizer isn't needed, but heuchera in containers can benefit from monthly fertilizer application. Plant so that the level of heuchera's crown is at the same soil level as in the pot. Give it a good watering when planting and continue to water regularly. Heuchera are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. 

If you already have heuchera, a few fall tasks will prepare them for spring glory. Dividing these perennials is important as they do not stick around without division every three to four years. Mulching is another important fall task; while heucheras are evergreen, their roots still need protection with a heavy mulch layer following fall's first hard frost. Mulching will also help prevent heuchera from heaving out of pots or ground during freezing and thawing cycles. A final recommended fall task for these plants is to remove debris, along with dead or ragged-looking foliage and stems.

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