Sugar Plum Heuchera

Sugar Plum Heuchera (Heuchera 'Sugar Plum') is a compact evergreen perennial for the front of a shaded bed or a pot by the back door. The foliage mound sits at about 25cm and spreads to roughly 45cm, rising to around 40cm when the fine cream and pink flower spikes go up. It is low maintenance, frost hardy and safe around cats and dogs.

Why you'll love it

• Foliage that works all year. An evergreen mound of ruffled leaves in the plum tones the name suggests, holding colour through winter when flowering perennials have gone.
• Made for shade. It prefers part shade, so it is one of the few colourful options for a bed under a tree or a south facing courtyard.
• Small enough for anywhere. At 45cm across it fits a courtyard pot, a narrow border or a balcony planter without crowding anything.
• Safe around pets. It is not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can sit at ground level without a second thought.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart along the front of a bed. The mounds meet at that spacing and give a continuous ribbon of colour.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. One plant fills a 250mm pot, and three in a 400mm bowl make a fuller display. A pot also lets you move it out of hard summer sun.

Mass planting in shade. A drift at 40cm centres under deciduous trees or along a shaded path covers ground where lawn will not grow.

Growing Sugar Plum Heuchera in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade, ideally morning sun with cover from hard afternoon light. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy. Humid subtropical and tropical summers sit outside its range.

Soil. Free draining and rich in organic matter. Heuchera crowns rot in heavy wet ground, so raise the bed or use a quality potting mix in a container.

Water and feed. Moderate, even water: damp but never soggy, and less again over winter. A slow release fertiliser in early spring covers the whole year.

Pruning. Pull tired outer leaves away as they age and cut spent flower spikes at the base. Every three or four years the crown lifts out of the soil, so dig it up, divide it and replant the pieces deeper.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in one size, a 140mm pot in packs of ten. Each is already making a small mound rather than a seedling, and ten plants edge about 4m of border at 40cm spacing.

Heucheras travel well because the foliage is tough and sits low. Expect a few marked outer leaves, which pull away cleanly, and the plant looks right within a fortnight. Growth is slow and steady, so allow a full season for it to fill its space. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Plants that are safe for pets
• Plants for partial shade
• The best ground cover plants for shade
• Plants that suit pots and containers

Common questions

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Heuchera is not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can be planted at ground level or kept in a pot on the floor without concern.

How much sun can it take?

Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal. Hard afternoon sun in an inland summer scorches the leaf edges, while deep shade dulls the foliage colour, so aim for bright shade.

Why has my plant lifted out of the soil?

Heucheras push their crown upward as they age, exposing a short woody stem. Lift the plant every three or four years, split the crown and replant the divisions deeper than they were.

Will it grow in a humid climate?

Not well. It belongs in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens. Humid subtropical summers encourage crown rot, so treat it as a short term pot plant if you garden there.