Geychera planting and care in the open field planting time

It is hard to believe, but there are decorative deciduous plants that can outshine the most spectacular flowers with the brightness of greenery. Heychera will take this, planting and care in the open field for which is quite simple and accessible to summer residents in many regions of Russia.

Description of heuchera for open ground

All species of Heuchera that exist in nature are from the American continent. Here plants from the Stonefragment family, justifying their origin, settled in the rocky wastelands of the center and south of the United States and some part of Mexico. Most of the plants domesticated by humans are perennial decorative deciduous crops. According to the description, in the open ground, heuchera, forming a lush rosette of split palmate leaves, changes their color depending on the season, miraculously transforming the corner of the garden allotted to it.

The appearance of the foliage depends not only on the season, but also on the type of heuchera. With two or three colored leaves with jagged, smooth or corrugated edges, you can transform the most inconspicuous area.

The decorative effect complements the flowering that lasts all summer. The brightest inflorescences on erect peduncles in Heuchera are blood-red with small corollas of a coral shade. In other species, flowers are predominantly white or pinkish, collected in sparse paniculate inflorescences.

When to plant Heuchera outdoors? What do you need to know about the nature of the plant and its preferences?

Conditions for growing heuchera in the open field

Usually, well-lit places are chosen for decorative deciduous plants, where bright colors on the leaves will look most advantageous. However, heuchera can easily settle down under the crowns of trees, and in an open area it can wither and will require frequent abundant watering. Therefore, it is better for her to find an area with light protection from the scorching midday sun, but not in a thick shade that will “wash away” unusual patterns from the leaves, leaving only a green background.

The requirement for sufficient illumination is especially important when planting in open ground and caring for variegated Heuchera.

Despite its bright appearance, this perennial is unpretentious and, with proper care, grows well in summer cottages. In plantings, Heuchera often coexists with hosts, conifers, herbaceous ground cover plants and shrubs, as well as tall flowering species.

When planting and nursing in the open field, perennial heucheras are not pretentious to the composition and nutritional value of the soil, but they do not tolerate:

• excessive acidity of the soil;
• high density of land at the landing site;
• stagnation of groundwater, melt and rainwater.

On a loose substrate that retains a moderate amount of moisture well, the plants are especially lush.

Planting time for heuchera in open ground

In nature, heucheras reproduce by seeds and vegetatively due to the growth of leaf rosettes. In the garden, it is better to use the second method.

Unfortunately, the seeds collected from garden varieties do not retain the varietal characteristics of plants, and plants close to wild-growing ones grow from them.

It is much easier to get Heuchera of the desired variety - using seedlings grown and seeds from a trusted manufacturer or dividing an adult outlet.

Seeds are sown in early spring in containers. In greenhouse conditions, the first shoots appear in 4-6 weeks. When real leaves open on the sprouts, the plant is transferred to open ground. Taking into account future growth, the sockets are planted at a distance of 20 cm from each other.

In May or early autumn, large, usually 3-4 year old heuchera rosettes are planted, which lose their compactness and fall apart. This means that daughter plants have appeared near the main plant, and it is time to separate them.

Planting perennial heuchera in open ground and caring for plants

To make the new plants more "fluffy", 2-3 rosettes with their own rhizomes are left on each plot. If for some reason the planting material has no roots, you should not throw it away. Cuttings with several leaves and a piece of stem can be rooted by treating with a stimulant and planting in a sand-peat mixture. In a shaded greenhouse, roots form in 3-4 weeks.

If cuttings are obtained in May or June, the time for planting Heuchera in open ground is in the middle or second half of summer. The soil under such plants must be mulched, and the seedlings themselves provide protection from the bright sun.

On cuttings and large cuttings, the places of the cuts are powdered with crushed charcoal. Planting pits under the Heuchera must have a depth of at least 30 cm and the same diameter. When this crop is used as a curb, the distance between the bushes is usually 25–35 cm.

After planting, the plants are watered, and the soil under them is sprinkled with peat, rotted sawdust or chopped grass.

Geyhera care after planting in open ground

These plants are hygrophilous. Therefore, the main care for Heuchera after planting in the open field includes:

• regular watering to prevent drying out of the soil;
• loosening the soil surface under and around bushes;
• weeding;
• feeding, which starts from the second year of life and is carried out with the help of complex means for decorative deciduous crops.

In the warm season, geykhers are watered 3-5 times a week. In hot weather and in the absence of rain, it is better to moisten the soil daily in the morning or after sunset.

So that no discolored burn marks remain on the leaves of the heuchera, the watering can should be kept as close to the ground as possible.

All plants of this genus bloom, but heuchera flowers are not always too attractive. If they interfere with the perception of the flower garden, or after wilting, the peduncles are removed by cutting off under the base. For the winter, the bushes leave with leaves. So that by spring the bases of the rosettes do not suffer from delusion, it is better to cover them with loose spruce branches, oak branches, non-woven material and mulch.

Everything interesting about geykher - video

Geichera decorates the garden from early spring to late autumn. And even for the winter, she leaves with decorative leaves. How to grow such a beauty in a flower garden?

Geichera is widely used in landscape design. Most often it is planted in rockeries, rock gardens, rabatkas and in central flower beds near the entrance to the house. This plant is unpretentious, but with improper planting and poor care, it does not look very presentable.

Choosing a landing site for Heuchera

The richness of the color of the leaves of heuchera and the duration of the flowering of the plant largely depend on the place of growth.Most species prefer semi-shaded areas in which the sun shines only in the morning or evening - the east or west side will do. However, young bushes thrive better with more sunlight. It is important that they are protected from the wind.

Heucheras with brightly colored leaves, especially red, look richer in the sun. But in such conditions, plants need abundant and frequent watering.

Red-leaved Heuchera Peach Crisp in the shade loses its bright color

Geykhra is unassuming in soil selection, but grows best on light, fertile and well-drained, slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5-6. The plant does not tolerate stagnant water: with excessive moisture, its roots rot.

Planting Heuchera

The most suitable time for planting is early spring. Heuchera can be grown from seeds, but this is an unreliable method of propagation, since the young plant often does not receive varietal characteristics of the mother and as a result grows with unremarkable green leaves. Therefore, heuchera is most often grown from a seedling - a bush bought in a specialized store, or a bush cut.

In the selected area, they dig a hole 30 cm wide and deep, add ash and rotted compost to it and mix well with loose fertile soil.

Dry shoots are removed on the heuchera bush, long stems are shortened to young tissue, damaged and rotten areas are cut out and sprinkled with crushed charcoal. Then heuchera is planted in a prepared hole, watered and shaded.

When planting, a distance of about 25 cm is maintained between the plants

After 4-6 weeks in young plants, the root system becomes strong and well-developed - then they can be transplanted to a new place. In regions with an unstable climate, in March-April, heuchera is first planted in a greenhouse, and after stable warm weather is established, it is transplanted into open ground. Or young bushes are planted not earlier than May.

When planting in spring, after watering, it is recommended to mulch the heuchera with peat. This will help get rid of weeds and retain moisture in the soil.

In the same way, delenki with 2-3 outlets can be planted in September, but it should be borne in mind that they take root for 1-1.5 months, and during this time it is important to protect the plants from a sudden drop in air temperature.

Geyhera care

The plant needs regular watering as the soil dries up - usually every 2 days. But during a drought, more frequent watering may be needed. In this case, you need to ensure that moisture does not stagnate in the soil, and drops do not fall on the leaves. Otherwise, the bright sun can cause burns.

If the leaves of heuchera become dull, small or lethargic, and the flowers do not bloom for a long time, then before and after flowering, the plants are fed with a complex mineral fertilizer. In this case, the dose recommended in the instructions for the drug is reduced by 2 times. After all, it is better to underfeed a Heuchera than to overfeed.

Heuchera usually blooms throughout the summer. Immediately after the end of this process, wilted peduncles are cut off so that the plant does not reproduce by self-sowing.

Heuchera grows well in one place for no more than 5 years, then its bush begins to fall apart and in winter it can freeze, so every 3-4 years the plant is dug up, divided and planted.

Geykhera tolerates transplantation and quickly takes root in a new place.

In autumn, with the onset of cold weather, some geykhera turn yellow, but often snow covers bushes with still bright foliage. Shoots are not cut: they winter well in this form and at the same time protect the root system from frost. In regions with a cold climate, heuchera is additionally covered with dry leaves (preferably oak) or spruce branches.

In the spring, the shelter is removed and with the help of a pruner, last year's leaves of heuchera are cut as close to the soil surface as possible.

Diseases and pests of Heuchera

As a rule, geychera rarely get sick and practically do not suffer from pests.But with improper care, they can become infected with powdery mildew (which they get rid of by spraying with fungicides - Topaz, Fundazol, Bayleton), rust and leaf spots (a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid is effective against these ailments).

With excessive moisture, heuchera can be eaten snails and slugs... To avoid this, carefully monitor watering, periodically collect pests by hand and, if necessary, place traps in the flower garden.

Plant spectacular Heuchera in your area - and they will paint even the most boring flower garden with bright colors. And if you want these flowers to decorate your home, grow them in containers. Heuchera grow well at home.

This small plant surprises not only with its airy and delicate flowers, but also with its incredibly beautiful leaves - of various shapes and colors. In a garden of any style: English landscape, luxurious Moorish or strict regular - such a decorative deciduous perennial like Heuchera looks great. Planting and caring for this plant is quite simple and even a novice gardener can do it, but there are some nuances and rules that should be followed and taken into account when growing geyher.

Botanical characteristic

This perennial, belonging to the saxifrage family, was named in honor of the German physician and naturalist Geicher I.G. In total, there are about 70 natural species of this plant, most of which grow in various regions of North America. Heuchera is a rather low, about 30-50 cm, herbaceous perennial, dense and variably colored long-stemmed leaves of which are collected in a basal rosette. The flowering of this plant in the middle lane can be observed in the middle of summer. If the place was chosen correctly and all conditions were created, then in June-July each bush throws out peduncles reaching a meter in length and decorated with small flowers collected in paniculate inflorescences. They are red, pink, white, depending on the type and variety to which the Heuchera belongs. Planting and care, the photo below shows how the blooming Heuchera villosa bush of the Autumn Bride variety looks spectacular.

After flowering, a fruit-box is formed, inside which there are many very small seeds. The plant is quite frost-hardy and shade-tolerant.

Historical reference

At the very beginning of the 17th century, the botanist Karl Klusius described a plant - mountain undergrowth - brought from North America. It was then that the Heuchera flower was first mentioned in the scientific literature. Planting and caring for this plant was not described there, but it is known that by the middle of the same century it was cultivated in French gardens. John Tradescant Jr. was the first famous gardener to grow geychera, and the year of their introduction into the culture is considered to be 1656.

At the beginning of the 19th century, other representatives of the Heuchera genus were described, including the Heuchera sanguinea, a blood-red Heuchera found in Mexico. The planting and care of which did not differ from the already known species.

At the beginning of the last century, geychera were quite rare in the gardens, and most of them were species of plants and their natural forms. The situation changed after the famous French breeders of that time, father and son Lemoine, began to hybridize this perennial. The first hybrid form, obtained from crossing small-flowered and blood-red, was the quail-shaped heuchera. Planting and care (a photo of a modern plant of this species of the Pluie de Feu variety is presented below) is exactly the same as that of its "ancestors". Subsequently, breeding work was carried out both in France by the Lemoine family and in the UK by A. Blum. The latter received from crossing hairy, small-flowered, American and cylindrical more than a dozen complex hybrid forms.

Views

In modern horticulture, it is not the natural species themselves that are most often found, but various hybrids and varieties of Heucher:

• American (Heuchera Americana) - with long-petiolate leaves of a cordate-rounded shape, bordered along the edge. They differ in various color options.
• Hairy (Heuchera villosa) - stands out in large leaf plates, painted in apricot-bronze, light green and various shades of purple.
• Blood red (Heuchera sanguinea) - also called "red bell", has denser leaves than other species. This is the most unpretentious and stable Heuchera. Planting and caring for it in the garden is minimal, the most important thing is not to plant it in sunny places, as it prefers to grow in partial shade and shade.
• Small-flowered (Heuchera Micrantha) is one of the most spectacular types of Heuchera. On the leaves of plants of this species, there is a silvery color in the form of spots and "blots" of various sizes, there are also varieties with a velvet-cherry, almost purple color.
• Cylindrical (H. Cilindrica) - the largest representative of the genus Heuchera. The species got its name because of the cylindrical shape of dense inflorescences, which are reddish, pink and greenish-yellow in color. The leaves of this species are usually green.

Popular varieties

It is unlikely that anyone will be able to say exactly how many varieties of geyher exist today. Almost every year, breeders delight lovers with new and interesting plants. The approximate number of modern varieties is about 200. It will not work to tell about everything, but we will try to highlight interesting and popular ones.

• Low, only 25 cm, Heuchera variety Amethyst Mist Coral Bells stands out with glossy foliage of deep purple color, covered as if with an ice pattern of thin silvery veins.
• The leaves of the beauty of the Regina variety, whose height is about 30 cm, are painted in lavender with an ash-silver tint. On high - 50-60 cm - pink inflorescences bloom in June.
• Geichera Autumn Leaves (AutomnLeaves) is practically a chameleon variety, as it changes the color of its leaves three times per season. In the spring they are "firemen" - bright red, in the summer - gray-green, and in the fall they turn crimson. The preferred landing site is partial shade.
• The Beauty Color variety is distinguished by a two-tone color of the leaves, a green border around the edge and bright veins.
• Creamy yellow leaves, decorated with veins of reddish-brown color, will surprise the Heuchera variety Electra. The intensity of the yellow color changes during the season, and blooms with milky white bells. It is better not to plant in the sun.

If desired, all of these varieties, as well as many others, can be grown as indoor plants.

Heuchera: planting and care in the open field

When growing this perennial, it is quite important to choose the right place for its placement. The splendor of the bush and its flowering, the brightness of the color of the leaves, and the life of the plant depend on this. Thinking about where to land the Heuchera, it is better to opt for those areas where the sun is in the morning hours, or where there is a slight partial shade. Despite the fact that this plant is shade-tolerant, it will reveal its beauty of Heuchera only in the openwork penumbra. Planting and caring for young plants have their own characteristics: they should be located in places protected from strong winds and with well-drained, light and nutritious soil. This plant is unpretentious, but in areas where water stagnates for a long time, for example, after rain, it will die, since the root system will quickly begin to rot.

How to care for this flower?

We will not repeat how unpretentious the Heuchera plant is. Planting and caring for him is simple: the right place with good soil, timely watering, mulching and hilling. As noted, this perennial does not tolerate stagnant moisture, but it also does not like overdrying the soil.The ground around the plant should be constantly slightly moist, then the leaves will be large and beautiful, and the flowering will delight. In order to prevent excessive evaporation of moisture, especially on hot days, it is advisable to mulch the soil around the heuchera bush with humus, foliage, grass or straw. Planting and care in the fall, as well as mulching the plant, especially after the first frost, will prevent its death from extinction in spring.

Feed or not?

Quite often, you can read in various sources that geychera of any kind and type do not need feeding. This is partly true, but only when you have well-“filled” fertile soils. And in this case, it should be remembered that all stocks come to an end someday. Many flower growers feed Heucheras with complex mineral fertilizers with a small amount of nitrogen twice a season: before and after flowering. When feeding this plant, use only half of the manufacturer's recommended dose, it is no longer worth it.

Diseases and pests

Heuchera, planting and caring for which corresponds to the agricultural technology of this plant, is quite resistant to various diseases and insects that want to feast on it. But unfavorable weather conditions, as well as a lack or excess of water weaken the flower, and the larva of the furrow weevil can begin to "feast on" its roots. The insect itself is black-brown, only about 10 mm long, decorated with deep grooves on the elytra. They feed at night, nibbling the edges of the leaves, and during the day they hide in the soil. There they lay eggs, from which white larvae with a brown head hatch, gnawing at the roots. Pests also include slugs and snails that love to "chew" young leaves.

Of the diseases affecting Heuchera, the most common are bacterial spots and fungal infections.

How to propagate?

It is quite easy to get seedlings of a plant like Heuchera. Planting and caring for young plants in the open field is simple, but first you need to get seed in one of three ways:

- sowing seeds;

- dividing the bush;

- by rooting the side cuttings.

Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Divide the bush

The easiest way to get some small geyher is to divide a three to four year old plant. For this you need:

1. Dig up the plant carefully.
2. With a clean and sharp knife, divide it into several parts.
3. Cut off dry leaves up to the buds located in the axils of old leaves.
4. Damaged and long roots must be cut off, and the cut should be sprinkled with ash, crushed coal or a root formation stimulator.
5. Before planting, you need to dig a hole 0.3x0.3 m in size.
6. At the bottom, put a little of any complex fertilizer and well-rotted humus.
7. Having straightened the roots, fill the hole with soil and compact it well.
8. Water and protect from sunlight.

Growing from seeds

You can propagate a plant like Heuchera by seed. Planting and leaving is easy. It is important to remember that the germination of the seeds of this plant lasts only six months after collection. Pay attention to the date of packing if you buy them in the store. If they are packed in a foil bag, then their shelf life can increase up to one and a half years. Heuchera seeds are planted on seedlings in March-April, depending on the level of illumination in the house. In the prepared soil, previously laid out in containers with a height of more than five centimeters and spilled with a weak warm solution of potassium permanganate, loosened and leveled, seeds are sown, previously mixed with clean river sand. They should not be deepened; it is enough to press a little into the ground. Then the containers are covered with glass or transparent film, after which they are placed on a warm, well-lit windowsill. Seedlings will appear in 14-21 days, all this time you need to air the plantings daily. When the first three leaves appear, the seedlings dive.In May, seedlings can be taken out into the garden or moved to a greenhouse, and in early June they can be planted in open ground. In autumn, young plants should be covered with straw or spruce branches.

Cuttings

Another way of reproduction of geyher is by cuttings, which allows not to dig up the plant. Near the ground, you need to find shoots with buds, cut them off and transfer them to a greenhouse or seedling bed. The branches are treated with a root formation stimulator and planted in the ground so that the buds rise above the ground. After about 4–5 weeks, the planted cuttings will take root, and after a couple of months they can be transplanted into open ground.

Heuchera - a genus of rhizome herbaceous perennials of the family Stonefragment, cultivated species and varieties of which are extremely in demand today in landscape design. Heuchera got its name in honor of Johann Heinrich von Heicher, a German botanist and physician. Originally from the rocky regions of North America, Heuchera is a compact shrub up to half a meter in height, attracting the eye with its luxurious, exquisite leaves. Geykhera is a gourmet plant, since during one growing season it can change the color of its leaves, and more than once. No other culture is distinguished by such a palette of shades and so many variants of their combinations as Heuchera, and especially its modern variegated varieties.

Heuchera flower - description

The dense heuchera bush is formed by leathery toothed leaves on long cuttings. The shape and color of the leaves is striking in its variety: almost black, bright red, maroon, amber, pink, purple, yellow, green and even silvery leaves in all kinds of patterns and veins, specks and spots. In texture, the leaves are smooth, corrugated and curly. Heuchera blooms all summer, and even until the very frost, with small pink, white, cream or red bells gathered in panicles. The fruit of geychera is a box in which seeds the size of a poppy seed ripen (about 20,000 seeds fit in 1 gram). Heuchera has been used in landscape design for a long time. Designers divide Heuchera varieties into two categories: decorative deciduous, the ancestor of which was American Heuchera, and decorative flowering ones, such as Red Heuchera, or blood red.

Features of growing heuchera

There are no obvious features or difficulties in growing heuchera, but this plant has characteristic features that you will not be in trouble to know. So:

• - for decorative leafy varieties of heuchera, if you do not have a goal to collect seeds in autumn, it is better to remove the peduncle as soon as it appears: they grow much higher than the bush and have an untidy appearance, which damages the decorative qualities of the plant;
• - peduncles of decorative flowering varieties are removed immediately after the heuchera has faded;
• - over time, the lower leaves on the bush fall off, and the geyhera looks untidy. You need to dig up the plant before flowering and transplant it, along with an earthen clod, into a deeper hole to hide the bald stem;
• - at the beginning of growth, young leaves of heuchera are bright and translucent, like flower petals, but as they mature, they thicken and darken;
• - Heuchera goes well with primroses, daylilies, astilba, bergenia and decorative cereals.

Planting Heuchera

When to plant Heuchera.

Heuchera is planted in March or April. Heuchera is distinguished by good shade tolerance, so the best place for it is in the partial shade of other plants, where diffused light will fall on it. The best option is the east or west side, where direct sunlight falls only in the morning or evening. If this is not possible, and you have to plant it in the sun, then you need to provide the Heuchera with regular and more abundant watering. By the way, varieties with brightly colored leaves in an open sunny area become even brighter and more spectacular.And varieties with red leaves must grow in the sun, otherwise their leaves will remain green in the shade.

In the choice of soil, Heuchera is not picky, it can grow on any soil, except acidic, the optimal pH is 5-6. Even a rocky area does not scare the plant, because in nature, in its homeland, it covers the rocky shores of the Great Lakes. But the more fertile and looser the soil, the more attractive and magnificent the Heuchera. Moisture capacity is of great importance and, at the same time, good drainage of the soil on the site. The stagnation of water in the roots of Heuchera does not tolerate.

How to plant Heuchera.

There are two planting methods - seeds and seedlings. Heuchera seeds are simply sown into loose prepared soil and covered up. But we remind you that seed reproduction is not the best way, since it does not preserve the species and varietal characteristics of the mother plant, and at best you will grow a simple Heuchera with green leaves.

The seedling method is more reliable. Seedlings are grown in a greenhouse container, and then planted in open ground to a depth of 3-4 cm at a distance of 20 cm from each other. The soil should be loose so that air can freely penetrate the roots. And heuchera from seeds in the open field, and seedlings germinate in a month and a half.

Geyhera - care

How to care for a Heychera.

Growing Heuchera is not difficult, and caring for Heuchera will not tire you. By and large, she does not need any care. In the first year of the growing season, in the year of planting, the plant does not need feeding; in subsequent years, decorative flowering varieties of heuchera need to be fed with a universal fertilizer for flowering plants, and decorative deciduous ones - with complex fertilizers for deciduous plants, respectively. The feeding time is before and after flowering, and the dose should be halved compared to that recommended on the package.

Watering Heuchera should be regular, as the soil dries up - once every two days, and it is better to forget to water Heuchera than to do it twice - excess moisture harms it. But on hot, dry days, you will have to water the Heuchera twice a day - early in the morning and in the evening. You need to pour water under the bush, carefully so that the spray does not fall on the leaves, which from this can become covered with burn spots.

If you do not want to have troubles with weeds and loosening the soil after watering, mulch planting Heuchera with peat in the spring.

Reproduction of Heuchera.

When the plant turns 3-4 years old, its rosette may fall apart and you will see a bare middle. This means that the time has come to divide the bush and plant its parts, thereby rejuvenating the Heuchera. The best time for this breeding method is May or early fall. Divide the bush in such a way that each section has 2-3 sockets. Too long roots need to be shortened, and those on which signs of decay are found - cleaned from rot and powder the wounds with coal powder. Parts of the divided bush are planted in pits 30x30 a little deeper than the mother plant was planted, at a distance of 25 cm from each other. After planting, it is advisable to water and mulch the site. Parts of the bush take root within a month. This method of reproduction of heuchera is called dividing the bush.

Heuchera propagates in another vegetative way - by cuttings. Cuttings of Heuchera are carried out in June or July: cuttings are cut from the mother bush as close as possible to the soil surface, but without fragments of rhizomes, divided into pieces of 4-6 cm, the lower sections are powdered with a root former, partially freed from the leaves and rooted in a mixture of peat and sand in homemade greenhouses in partial shade. Remember to ventilate the cuttings and moisten the soil in the containers. Rooting takes place in 3-4 weeks.

Heuchera pests and diseases.

Heuchera get sick very rarely, and they are not afraid of pests, but sometimes they still suffer from powdery mildew, rust, gray rot and spotting. The cause of these ailments is an excess of fertilizer or stagnation of water in the roots of plants.From powdery mildew, which covers the leaves with a whitish bloom, heuchera will be relieved by treatment with a fungicide. And spotting and rust can be defeated by spraying Heuchera twice a month with a solution of Bordeaux liquid.

Of the pests, snails, slugs, weevils, caterpillars and leaf nematodes, which can be eliminated with special insecticides, are dangerous for heuchera.

Heuchera after flowering

Heuchera bloom usually begins in early summer and lasts two months, and sometimes longer. When the geyher in the garden fade, they will not require special care from you. Cut off stalks with wilted flowers if you have no intention of waiting for the heuchera seeds to ripen.

Preparing geyhera for winter

Geichera winters in the garden. In no case, do not cut off withered and yellowed leaves of Heuchera in the fall: it is they who help the plant to keep the roots warm in winter. Heuchera requires shelter for the winter, and it is better if you use oak leaves as such. When spring comes, remove the cover and carefully prune last year's heuchera leaves with pruning shears as close to the soil surface as possible.

Types and varieties of heuchera

The genus Heuchera has about 70 species. Many of them grow naturally in the forests and woodlands of the highlands of Mexico and the United States. Conventionally, the types of heuchera are divided into mountain and forest ones. We will introduce you to the most popular species and varieties among gardeners that are used in landscape design and for breeding new varieties.

Heichera blood red

refers to mountain species. She has green leaves and bright red flowers. Americans call it a red bell. The leaves of blood-red heuchera, forming a rosette, are much denser than those of other species, they are round and jagged. Some varieties of this species are distinguished by beautiful white or creamy specks on the leaves. Peduncles reach a height of 50cm. This type is cold-resistant, which is why it is so popular with our gardeners. The most famous varieties are "Monet", "Variegata", "Hercules".

Heuchera hairy

It is distinguished by large leaves with a velvety surface and pubescent peduncles and cuttings, which is why it got its name. The "Bronze Wave" variety has the largest leaves up to 20 cm in diameter, bronze in color, and "Rachel" has not only flowers, but also peduncles of a pale pink color.

Heuchera cylindrical

- also a mountain view, it has not only spectacular leaves, but also tall peduncles with a cloud of small flowers that seem to soar above the bush during flowering. This species is larger than others, and this attracted breeders who, on the basis of cylindrical geychera, developed new varieties. Peduncles reach 90 cm in height, they bloom large flowers of white, pink, green and coral color on short pedicels. Leaves are heart-shaped, rounded, green in color with a silvery pattern or veins of a contrasting color. Varieties: "Greenfinch" with greenish-cream flowers, "Hyperion" - a compact bush with a peduncle height of only 50 cm and red-pink flowers.

Heuchera small-flowered

- according to many gardeners, this is the most spectacular of the geyher. Its leaf, resembling a maple leaf, is covered with silvery spots, and some of the naturally occurring specimens are distinguished by a purple tint of the leaves. Paniculate inflorescence on a peduncle 60cm high consists of small creamy pink flowers with orange anthers. Of the popular varieties, the best known are the Palace Purple with dark purple leaves, which is the best perennial plant of 1999, and the Bressingham Bronze with bronze-brown leaves.

American Geichera,

growing on the shores of the Great Lakes. In the USA it is called "mountain geranium". It attracts with its leaves, forming a rosette about 20 cm high. On the underside, the leaves are brown-lilac, heart-shaped, rounded, petioles are long. Panicles on peduncles 50-60 cm tall consist of yellow-green flowers.Green Spice is one of the most beautiful varieties of American Heuchera with green leaves and contrasting silvery spots on them. During the growing season, the leaves change shades of green from more yellow to darker, the silver spots increase, and a purple hue appears around the veins.

Heuchera hybrid

- it includes interspecific hybrids of American and blood-red heuchera with the participation of small-flowered heuchera. The flowers of this species resemble those of the blood-red heuchera, but they are somewhat larger, as well as the leaves with peduncles. Flowers of white, coral, red or pink color bloom for more than two months. The color of the leaves is mostly green, but with contrasting veins and cream specks. The only drawback of these hybrids is that the stalks can fall from strong wind and rain. Sorts: "Cancan", "Cappuccino", "Beauty Color", "Ruby Vale" and others.

Gooseberry Heuchera

- this plant is so cold-resistant that even after wintering in the garden in severe frost it can completely retain its leaves, and it is this rare quality that attracts both flower growers and breeders in it.

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