Marmalade Heuchera

Marmalade Heuchera (Heuchera 'Marmalade') is grown for foliage rather than flowers. The ruffled leaves shift through amber, caramel and deep russet with the season and the light, on a neat evergreen mound about 30cm tall and 45cm across. Slim stems of small cream and pink flowers rise above it, but the leaf colour is what earns it a place at the front of a border.

Why you'll love it

• Colour without flowering. The amber to caramel foliage holds all year, so a border keeps its interest long after the flowering perennials are finished.
• Pet friendly. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which makes it a safe pick for a family garden or a courtyard the dog has the run of.
• Neat and predictable. It stays a tidy 30cm by 45cm mound and does not run, so the edge of the bed stays where you drew it.
• Frost hardy. It takes cold winters without protection, and cool conditions deepen the leaf colour rather than spoiling it.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart along the front of a bed for a continuous ribbon of warm foliage against the green and grey planting behind it.

Mass planting. At 40cm centres it reads as one drift of colour rather than a row of individual plants. A pack of ten covers roughly 1.5 square metres.

Pots and containers. The shallow root system suits a 250mm to 300mm pot, and three plants in one wide container makes a strong doorway planting.

Growing Marmalade Heuchera in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with afternoon shade is the sweet spot, and in hot inland gardens that afternoon shade is essential to stop the leaves scorching. Deep shade works but the colour goes flat and green. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens.

Soil. Free draining and rich in organic matter. The roots sit shallow and rot in soggy ground, so improve heavy beds with compost and coarse sand, and mulch lightly with the crown left clear.

Water and feed. Moderate, even watering. Do not let it dry right out in summer, and do not leave it sodden in winter. A slow release fertiliser in early spring covers the season.

Pruning. Pull off tired outer leaves as they age and cut the flower stems at the base once they finish. Every three or four years the woody crown lifts clear of the soil, so divide the plant and replant it deeper.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied in 140mm pots, sold in packs of ten. These are established young plants with a full rosette of coloured leaves, ready to go straight into a bed or a container. Ten plants will run about four metres along a border at 40cm spacing.

Foliage plants travel well, and any bruised leaves can simply be removed on arrival. Expect two to three settled weeks, then new leaves through the first cool season. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse plants that are safe for pets
• Ideas for low growing border plants
• Plants for partial shade
• Plants suited to mass planting

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

40cm apart for a full border. At that spacing the mounds touch without crowding, and one pack of ten runs about four metres along a bed edge.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Heuchera is not toxic to cats or dogs, so it is a sensible choice for a garden your pets use.

Why has my plant gone green?

Too much shade. The amber and caramel tones need good indirect light to develop, so shift it somewhere with a few hours of morning sun.

Can it take full sun?

In cool temperate gardens, yes. Anywhere hot, the afternoon sun bleaches and crisps the leaf edges, so morning sun with afternoon shade gives the best colour nationally.