Coral Bells Palace Purple

Coral Bells 'Palace Purple' (Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple') is grown for foliage, not flowers. It makes a tidy mound about 45cm tall and 40cm across of bronze purple, maple shaped leaves that hold their colour all year, then lifts airy sprays of small cream white flowers above them in summer. In a shaded border where most colour comes and goes, this one stays put.

Why you'll love it

• Year round foliage colour. The bronze purple leaves do the work every month, so the border is never bare between flowering flushes.
• It performs in shade. Morning sun with afternoon shade suits it, which makes it useful under trees and along south facing beds.
• Neat and predictable. A clump holds around 45cm by 40cm and does not run, so an edging line stays straight for years.
• Low demand once settled. Frost hardy and drought tolerant, and it asks for little beyond a tidy up each spring.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a dense border. At that spacing the leaves meet within a season and the dark foliage reads as a continuous line against paving or lawn.

Mass planting and groundcover. At the same 40cm spacing, about six plants cover a square metre, the most economical way to carry colour under deciduous trees.

Pots and small gardens. One plant fills a 250mm to 300mm pot, and the dark leaves set off silver or lime companions in a mixed container.

Growing coral bells in Australia

Position and climate. Cool temperate and warm temperate gardens. Morning sun with afternoon shade gives the best colour: full sun in a warm district bleaches and crisps the leaves, while deep shade turns them a muddy green. It is frost hardy, so southern winters are no concern.

Soil. Well drained soil with compost worked through. Heuchera object to sitting wet over winter far more than they object to dry, so raise the bed on clay and keep mulch off the crown.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in dry spells. A light dressing of complete fertiliser in early spring and again after flowering is enough.

Pruning. Remove old and tatty leaves at the base in early spring, and cut flower stems off once they finish. Lift and divide every three or four years, when the woody crown starts to push up out of the soil.

What to expect when it arrives

Coral Bells is sold as tube stock and in 140mm pots by the pack of ten. Tubes are young single crowns and the economical way to plant a long border, taking a season to bulk up. The 140mm plants are already multi crowned and give a finished border in the first year.

A little leaf damage in transit is normal and fresh growth replaces it quickly. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Ground cover plants for shaded gardens
• Browse plants for partial shade
• Choosing edging plants for a border
• Plants suited to cool climates

Common questions

How many do I need per square metre?

About six at the recommended 40cm spacing. For a single edging line the same 40cm applies, and the clumps knit together within a season.

Will it hold its purple in full sun?

In a cool temperate garden it takes more sun and colours well. In warm temperate areas afternoon sun fades and crisps the leaves, so give it shade from midday onward.

Is it safe for pets?

Toxicity to cats and dogs is not well documented for heuchera, so we do not list it as pet friendly. If your animals chew garden plants, choose something with a clear safety record instead.

Why is my plant lifting out of the ground?

Older clumps build a woody crown that pushes upward over time. Lift, divide and replant the healthy outer sections a little deeper every three or four years.