- Author: Jutta Thoerner
- Editor: Noni Todd
Cora Bell
By Jutta Thoerner UCCE Master Gardener
Heuchera
Height: 1-3 feet, Width: 6-30 inches
USDA hardy zone: 4-9
Bloom description and season: Green, white, red, or pink small flowers on stems up to 24 inches high. Spring, summer or fall bloom depends on cultivar and climate.
Pruning needs: after flowering remove flower stalk.
Exposure: part sun to part shade.
Water needs: low to medium does not like “wet” feet.
That Cora bells are one of the most under used plants in a landscape. With dozens of varietals, ranging from black/purple leaves with white blossoms to yellow variegated foliage and flower options of red, white, green or pink, you will find a Cora bell plant that enhances your landscaping. Its foliage is attractive all year and forms a tidy beautiful mound that requires no shaping or pruning. This low maintenance plant adapts to many soils and conditions, from sandy to clay soil, to cool coastal to hot inland temperatures. Ideally it likes part sun and part shade, but will do well (check tolerance for the varietal) in complete shade or sun. Cora bell's small flowers sit atop long stems and can last for months, depending on the heat index at the time of blooming. The flowers make excellent, lasting cut flowers and are favored by hummingbirds and butterflies.
Traditionally planted under shrubs or trees, it helps keep the roots of companion plant cooler and benefits from the shade produced by nearby shrubs or trees. Planted as a border or in rock gardens, it does best with limited water to avoid stem or rot disease. This perennial multiplies on its own and after 3-4 years you could dig up the plant on a cool, moist spring or fall morning, divide it, and have several Cora bells for replanting or sharing.
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