Coral bells 'Green Spice'
Heuchera americana 'Green Spice' · Saxifragaceae
Green leaves washed with silver and marked with burgundy veins, like the leaf of a cyclamen; they turn orange in autumn.
- Size
- 10 in tall, 16 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Part sun to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers late May to mid July
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around coral bells 'Green Spice'
The planner designed this bed around coral bells 'Green Spice' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why coral bells 'Green Spice' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Coral bells 'Green Spice' × 6, green leaves
- 2 Lingonberry × 8, pink
- 3 Blue wood aster × 5, lavender
- 4 Japanese meadowsweet × 3, pink
- 5 Bleeding heart 'Gold Heart' × 1, pink
- 6 Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost' × 3, blue
- 7 Snowdrop × 3, white
- 8 Yellow trout lily × 12, yellow
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- On the front edge. At 10 in it frames the bed without hiding it, and it is in leaf all season. It finishes 60% of the edge.
- 6 plants in 2 runs (5 and 1). Runs of different lengths make the edge a frame, not a ruled line.
- Bold leaf against fine. Lingonberry is beside it: the strongest contrast of leaf there is.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, into winter. They cover the 14 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 6 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Pink is the colour seen most, on 3 of the 7 kinds grown for their flowers. The bold leaves of Japanese meadowsweet are set against the fine leaves of lingonberry, the kind of contrast that keeps a bed from blurring.
The planner's own design check: 14 Excellent, 2 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 'Green Spice' goes in a border
At 10 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is low (6 to 12 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
A selection of the native American alumroot, subtle and very hardy. The pattern repays a close look, and it tolerates deeper shade than the purple kinds.
- Patterned foliage for shade
- Native woodland gardens
- Edging
What to plant with coral bells 'Green Spice'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Foamflower: adds the flowers, late April to late May; medium leaves against its bold ones; spires rising out of its mound.
- Christmas fern: medium leaves against its bold ones; tall enough (20 in) to stand behind it.
- Wild ginger: low enough (6 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about coral bells 'Green Spice'
Does coral bells 'Green Spice' need sun or shade?
Coral bells 'Green Spice' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does coral bells 'Green Spice' 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 'Green Spice' be planted?
14 in (35 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 16 in (40 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 10 in (25 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many coral bells 'Green Spice' plants do I need?
At 14 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 9 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 9 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 28 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 six in two groups.
Is coral bells 'Green Spice' 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.
Do deer eat coral bells 'Green Spice'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does coral bells 'Green Spice' look like in winter?
Coral bells 'Green Spice' 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.
Is coral bells 'Green Spice' good for bees and butterflies?
Coral bells 'Green Spice' is visited by pollinators and specialist bees.
It is native to the United States (this is a named variety of the native plant).
More Heuchera
- American alumroot Heuchera americana
- Coral bells Heuchera
- Coral bells 'Berry Smoothie' Heuchera 'Berry Smoothie'
- 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 '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
- Plants for dry shade
- Plants that grow near black walnut
- Deer-resistant plants for shade
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Pet-safe plants for shade
- Native perennials for pollinators
- Native plants for shade
- Plants for bees
- Low plants for the front of a border
- Silver and grey-leaved plants
- Plants with purple and burgundy leaves
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 10 in (25 cm) tall, 16 in (40 cm) wide
- Plant
- 14 in (35 cm) apart
- Height class
- Low (6 to 12 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Late May to mid July; airy sprays; cream, green
- Leaves
- Bold texture, semi-evergreen; green, silver, burgundy
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Part sun, part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Saxifragaceae
- Comes from
- native to eastern and central North America, from Ontario
- Attracts
- Pollinators, specialist bees
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, drought, black walnut
Checked against NC State Extension and VASCAN (plants of Canada). 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.