Heuchera 'BERRY SMOOTHIE' coral bells

Heuchera

Heucheras – coral bells are undemanding yet striking perennials that have gained popularity thanks to their beautiful foliage and delicate flowers, sometimes appearing in rich inflorescences. They form dense clumps of leaves with a breathtaking range of colours. The genus was named after Johann Heinrich von Heucher (1677–1746), a German physician and professor. It includes around forty species of perennial plants, mostly native to North America, except for H. sichotensis from the Russian Far East. To Europe, heucheras were introduced in the 18th century. their classification can be quite challenging as in the wild, these plants often crossbreed, and their flowers change shape significantly as they mature. That’s why so many breeders are drawn to them – their variable gene pool invites experimentation, and the thrill of discovering something new at the end of a breeding attempt is simply irresistible 😊.

Over the years of hard breeding work Terra Nova® Nurseries from Canby in Oregon, USA, have become a synonym for heucheras thanks to their skilful breeder Janet N. Egger. And when one might think that there’s nothing more to come up with they introduce a whole new series called NORTHERN EXPOSURE™ in 2017. They combine findings of Modern Research breeding station in Manitoba, Canada, and Janet’s ground-breaking hybridizing of h. richardsonii with pelargonium-like foliage. The resulting plants are not only beautiful but also hardier, surviving as much as -40 °C, they are rust resistant and have shorter flowering stems.