Heuchera versicolor — Practical Plants

Taxonomy and growth

Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Heuchera
Life cycle: perennial
Foliage: evergreen
Height: 0.2 m
Fertility: Bees
Flower type: hermaphrodite
Pollinators: Bees

Uses

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

The root is astringent.

Product or use: Astringent

The root can be used as an alum substitute, this is a mordant used in fixing dyes^[4]. The root is rich in tannin, is this the active ingredient that acts as a mordant?^[4]. A good ground cover plant for the woodland garden^[5].

Product or use: Mordant

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche: Soil surface

Ground cover

Environment

Range: South-western N. America.
Habitat: Coniferous forests, especially around moist and shaded rocks, 2000 - 3600 metres^[3].
Light: full sun
Shade tolerance: light shade
Water: moderate
Hardiness: Zone 9+
Soil textures: sandy, loamy
Soil pH: acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage: well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil: No
Drought: intolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination is usually fairly rapid. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. The seed can also be sown in the middle of spring in an outdoor seedbed and planted out in early summer. Alternatively, you can sow the seed in an outdoor seedbed in the middle of summer for planting out in the following spring. Division in March or October^[1]^[2]. It is best to divide the plants in August or early September, making sure that the woody roots are planted quite deeply with only the crown of foliage above the ground^[6].

Cultivation

Succeeds in any good sweet garden soil that does not dry out in spring^[1]. Prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade^[1]^[2]. Prefers a well-drained fairly rich and not too heavy soil^[2]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, it is only likely to succeed outdoors in the milder areas of the country^[5]. Apt to hybridize with other members of this genus^[2].

References

F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
↩1 ↩2 ↩3
Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00
↩1 ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
Arnberger. L. P. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments Ass. 1968-00-00
↩
Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
↩1 ↩2
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
↩1 ↩2
Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
↩