Heucherella
Plant with the crown at soil level, not buried, and replant deeper each time you divide — this hybrid gradually pushes itself out of the ground.
Care
Part shade — the coloured foliage scorches in full afternoon sun and goes dull in deep shade.
Medium — keep evenly moist; it resents both drying out and waterlogging.
Fertile, humus-rich, free-draining soil. On heavy clay plant on a slight mound, since winter wet at the crown is the main killer.
Remove tired or damaged leaves through the year and cut off spent flower stems at the base. Don't cut the whole plant back in autumn — the foliage protects the crown.
A balanced feed over a compost mulch as growth starts. Little else is needed — an overfed plant makes large, floppy leaves and loses the compact mound and leaf colour it is grown for.
Divide in spring, cutting the woody crown into pieces each with roots and a fan of leaves. Being a sterile hybrid it does not come true from seed, and the plant also lifts itself out of the ground as it ages, so replanting deeper at division is part of the job.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- AprilFeed and mulch as the new leaves unfurl. how ›
- JuneCut spent flower stems at the base to keep the foliage mound tidy. how ›
- OctoberFirm the crown back into the soil if frost has lifted it, and leave the foliage on over winter.
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- AprilFeed and mulch as the new leaves unfurl. how ›
- JuneCut spent flower stems at the base to keep the foliage mound tidy. how ›
- OctoberFirm the crown back into the soil if frost has lifted it, and leave the foliage on over winter.
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchFeed and mulch as the new leaves unfurl. how ›
- MayCut spent flower stems at the base to keep the foliage mound tidy. how ›
- OctoberFirm the crown back into the soil if frost has lifted it, and leave the foliage on over winter.
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchFeed and mulch as the new leaves unfurl. how ›
- MayCut spent flower stems at the base to keep the foliage mound tidy. how ›
- NovemberFirm the crown back into the soil if frost has lifted it, and leave the foliage on over winter.
Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Notched leaf edges, then sudden collapse as the grubs eat the roots — a serious risk in containers.
What to do. Check the rootball, remove grubs, and repot into fresh compost.
How to spot it. Blackened, mushy crown after a wet winter.
What to do. Improve drainage and replant on a mound.
How to spot it. Bleached or crisped patches on the leaves in full sun.
What to do. Move to part shade.
Popular varieties
Questions
Heucherella: is it hardy?
H6: Hardy in the vast majority of UK gardens. It survives down to −20 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes — good in containers, but check regularly for vine weevil, which is far more damaging in a pot than in open ground.
Heucherella: when do you prune it?
Remove tired or damaged leaves through the year and cut off spent flower stems at the base.
Heucherella: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in May–July.
When do you feed it?
A balanced feed over a compost mulch as growth starts. Little else is needed — an overfed plant makes large, floppy leaves and loses the compact mound and leaf colour it is grown for. Feeding months, UK: April.