Foam Flowers, Coral Bells, and Foamy Bells

Posted in Gardening Tips on October 25 2011, by Sonia Uyterhoeven

In August we took a look at sun-tolerant coral bells and several of the dark-leaved varieties of Heuchera. Today I am going to discuss some of the new additions in our garden and two other closely related genera.

Oregon-based Terra Nova Nursery has come out with a ‘Soda Series’ of coral bells that include cultivars named ‘Root Beer’, ‘Ginger Ale,’ and ‘Cherry Cola’. We bought ‘Cherry Cola,’ a compact plant with rounded leaves that morph between red and chocolate brown (more red), this year. It grows to be about 6 inches tall and 14 inches wide making it well suited for a container or the front of a border.

But what really distinguishes Heuchera ‘Cherry Cola’ from other colorful coral bells is its flower. In the spring it produces a rich display of cherry red flowers that cover the plant and creates quite a sensation. It is also fairly winter hardy and the deer tend to place coral bells fairly low on their menu. It is happiest in part shade but can handle sun and shade.

Another coral bell that we purchased this year was ‘Ginger Peach’. This is a vigorous coral bell that grows 10 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Its maple-shaped leaves are ruffled with a rose colored backside. The leaves change from copper to peachy coral. This coral bell is hardy from zone 4 to 9. Buy this one more for the foliage than the flowers.

In our collection is a new 2011 introduction in the world of foam flowers named Tiarella ‘Sunset Ridge’. ‘Sunset Ridge’ has a wonderful trailing habit and is a vigorous grower. The catalog adeptly describes it as a ‘good trailing ivy substitute’ for your garden or a hanging basket. The leaves on ‘Sunset Ridge’ have deep, large burgundy markings highlighting its veins and like its brethren it has foamy white flowers in early spring.

When you take a coral bell (Heuchera) and cross it with a foam flower (Tiarella) what do you get? Foamy bells (Heucherella), of course! Foamy bells are an intergeneric hybrid, meaning that they are a hybrid of two closely related genera. As an intermediate form, foamy bells have the characteristics of both parents and are sterile, which means they need to be propagated vegetatively.

Foamy bells perform best and have the most vivid colors when grown in afternoon shade. Some of the newer cultivars can handle quite a bit of sun. If they are grown in deeper shade they will grow more slowly. We bought ‘Solar Power’ with its lime green and red leaves and ‘Gunsmoke’ with its smoky purple and silver foliage. Both of these cultivars can be grown in sun or shade.

What’s the best way to maintain coral bells, foam flowers, and foamy bells? I find many of these perennials to be semi-evergreen in the New York City-area. Generally I will I wait until spring (April) before cleaning up any ratty foliage on these plants. Once you see that these plants are pushing new growth, follow the stems back to the crown of the plant and remove that ratty foliage. Make sure you not to cut into the crown of the plant (the base of the plant where the growth comes from). You generally don’t have to clean up foam flowers, but coral bells and foamy bells will often require this spring time grooming.

Coral bells and foamy bells are sometimes at the mercy of frost heaves during the winter months and can benefit from a layer of mulch once the ground freezes over. There are so many new cultivars on the market these days, some may be more vigorous than others in your region. It is always a good idea to try a few of these plants in your own garden, judging for yourself what is going to work for your unique climate before making a large investment in these delightful foliage plants.