Heuchera 'Strawberry Candy'
Common Name: coral bells
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Saxifragaceae
Zone: 4 to 9
Height: 1.5 to 2 feet
Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet
Bloom Time: June to July
Bloom Description: Pink
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flowers: Showy Flowers
Leaves: Colorful

Culture

Best grown in organically rich, humusy, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Performs well in full sun in the north, but prefers some shade (particularly in the heat of the afternoon) in the south. In the St. Louis area, best foliage color may occur in sunny spots with part afternoon shade. Scorch and general foliage decline usually occur if soils are allowed to dry out. If grown in full sun, consistent moisture is particularly important. Remove stems of faded flowers to encourage additional bloom. Foliage is essentially evergreen in warm winter climates, but the amount of retained foliage color in cold winter climates such as St. Louis depends in large part upon the severity of the temperatures. In cold winter climates, a winter mulch applied after the ground freezes will help prevent root heaving. Divide clumps in spring every 3-4 years.

Noteworthy Characteristics

‘Strawberry Candy’ is a vigorous, clump-forming coral bells cultivar that is best noted for its large pink flowers, silver-mottled foliage and dwarf size. It is the result of a cross between an unnamed Heuchera sanguinea seedling (seed parent) and Heuchera cylindrica ‘Greenfinch’ (pollen parent). Rounded, lobed, long-petioled leaves form a basal mound (to 9” tall) which may spread to 18” wide. Green leaves are distinctively mottled with silver. Large (for heuchera) pink flowers appear in late spring to early summer in terminal panicles atop slender stems rising above the foliage mound to 16” tall. U. S. Plant Patent PP12,195 was issued on November 6, 2001.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Frost heaving of roots may occur when winter temperatures fluctuate widely.

Garden Uses

Mass as a ground cover or group. Rock gardens, borders and open woodland gardens. Effective as an edger along paths or walkways.