Coral bells 'Berry Smoothie'
Heuchera 'Berry Smoothie' · Saxifragaceae
Leaves of a bright, metallic rose-pink in spring that deepen to purple-rose through the summer.
- Size
- 18 in tall, 20 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Part sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers mid June to late July
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around coral bells 'Berry Smoothie'
The planner designed this bed around coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' × 1, red leaves
- 2 Blue moor grass × 6, purple
- 3 Leadwort × 11, blue
- 4 Foxglove beardtongue × 5, white
- 5 Swamp milkweed × 3, pink
- 6 Mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' × 1, pink
- 7 Autumn crocus × 12, lavender
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- The only bold leaves here. The rest are fine and medium. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
Why here
- In the middle. At 18 in it is the step between blue moor grass (10 in) in front and foxglove beardtongue (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- One plant. Three or more is usual for a plant of this kind, and reads better.
- Bold leaf against fine. Blue moor grass is beside it: the strongest contrast of leaf there is.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, into winter. They cover the 13 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 4 of the 5 groups (80%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Blue moor grass is the first into flower, in mid April, and autumn crocus the last to finish, in mid October. Low plants run along 95% of the front edge: blue moor grass and leadwort.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 3 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' goes in a border
At 18 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The clearest pink foliage in the genus. It is a strong grower with a villosa parent, and its colour looks best against plain green, blue or silver.
- Pink foliage in part shade
- Colour without flowers
- Containers
What to plant with coral bells 'Berry Smoothie'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta 'Halcyon': spires rising out of its mound.
- Japanese painted fern: fine leaves against its bold ones.
- Lady fern: fine leaves against its bold ones; tall enough (2½ ft) to stand behind it.
Questions about coral bells 'Berry Smoothie'
Does coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' need sun or shade?
Coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 20 in (50 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 18 in (45 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
What does coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' look like in winter?
Coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
More Heuchera
- American alumroot Heuchera americana
- Coral bells Heuchera
- Coral bells 'Caramel' Heuchera 'Caramel'
- Coral bells 'Citronelle' Heuchera 'Citronelle'
- Coral bells 'Firefly' Heuchera sanguinea 'Leuchtkäfer'
- Coral bells 'Georgia Peach' Heuchera 'Georgia Peach'
- Coral bells 'Green Spice' Heuchera americana 'Green Spice'
- Coral bells 'Lime Rickey' Heuchera 'Lime Rickey'
- Coral bells 'Obsidian' Heuchera 'Obsidian'
- Coral bells 'Palace Purple' Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple'
- Coral bells 'Plum Pudding' Heuchera 'Plum Pudding'
- Hairy alumroot 'Autumn Bride' Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride'
- Prairie alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
- Scarlet coral bells Heuchera sanguinea
In these guides
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 18 in (45 cm) tall, 20 in (50 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid June to late July; airy sprays; pink
- Leaves
- Bold texture, semi-evergreen; red, purple
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Saxifragaceae
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.