Foamy bells 'Stoplight'
x Heucherella 'Stoplight' · Saxifragaceae
Bright yellow-green leaves, each with a blood-red blotch spreading from the centre along the veins.
- Size
- 8 in tall, 14 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers late May to early July
- Pets
- Not checked
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around foamy bells 'Stoplight'
The planner designed this bed around foamy bells 'Stoplight' 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 foamy bells 'Stoplight' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Foamy bells 'Stoplight' × 8, chartreuse leaves
- 2 Blue star creeper × 8, blue
- 3 White turtlehead × 5, white
- 4 Korean feather reed grass × 1, pink
- 5 Gray's sedge × 3, green
- 6 Wild geranium 'Espresso' × 8, pink
- 7 Fawn lily 'White Beauty' × 10, white
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
- On the front edge. At 8 in it frames the bed without hiding it, and it is in leaf all season. It finishes 70% of the edge.
- 8 plants in 2 runs (5 and 3). Runs of different lengths make the edge a frame, not a ruled line.
- Bold leaf against fine. Blue star creeper is beside it: the strongest contrast of leaf there is.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, into winter. They cover the 12 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 7 of the 7 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The back corners are held by Korean feather reed grass and white turtlehead, the tallest plants on the plan. In winter there are still three kinds to look at, blue star creeper and Korean feather reed grass among them.
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 foamy bells 'Stoplight' goes in a border
At 8 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.
The sharpest contrast in any shade plant: yellow and red on one leaf. Use it in small numbers as an accent among plain greens and blues.
- A bright accent in shade
- Edging
- Containers
What to plant with foamy bells 'Stoplight'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears': medium leaves against its bold ones; spires rising out of its mound; happy in the same moist soil.
- Black mondo grass: fine leaves against its bold ones; spires rising out of its mound.
- Japanese painted fern: fine leaves against its bold ones; tall enough (18 in) to stand behind it; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about foamy bells 'Stoplight'
Does foamy bells 'Stoplight' need sun or shade?
Foamy bells 'Stoplight' grows in 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 soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does foamy bells 'Stoplight' 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 foamy bells 'Stoplight' be planted?
12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 14 in (35 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 8 in (20 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many foamy bells 'Stoplight' plants do I need?
At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 38 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 eight in two groups.
Is there a native plant like foamy bells 'Stoplight'?
Foamy bells 'Stoplight' is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Coral bells 'Green Spice': the same job in a bed and the same size; wants average soil.
- Bloodroot: the same job in a bed; 4 in narrower, flowers late March to mid April.
- Squirrel corn: the same job in a bed; 4 in narrower, flowers mid April to early May.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What does foamy bells 'Stoplight' look like in winter?
Foamy bells 'Stoplight' 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 × Heucherella
- Foamy bells x Heucherella
- Foamy bells 'Sweet Tea' x Heucherella 'Sweet Tea'
In these guides
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 8 in (20 cm) tall, 14 in (35 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Low (6 to 12 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Late May to early July; airy sprays; white
- Leaves
- Bold texture, semi-evergreen; chartreuse, red
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Saxifragaceae
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. 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.