| Description | Palace Purple Coral Bells (Heuchera) is one of the first coral bells hybridized from naturally purple-leafed native species. Leaf color varies from purple and olive green to purple green. A hardy, easy-to-grow perennial. |
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| Pronunciation | (HEW-ker-ah) |
| Plant Type | Perennials Hardy, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 4-8 |
| Sunlight | I have grown this plant in both full sun and in semi-shaded sites. In full sun the edges of the leaves will burn unless adequate moisture is maintained |
| Moisture | prefers moist, tolerates average |
| Soil & Site | prefers rich moist, tolerates average |
| Flowers | tiny 1/8" yellowish-white flowers on lose airy scapes, borne on a panicle |
| Leaves | Dark purple ivy-shaped leaves form a small mound—best coloration in spring and fall. Most leaves are basal and slightly evergreen in zone 5. |
| Dimensions | The foliage mound will be less than a foot in height and around a foot in spread. Flower inflorescence up to 2 feet. Space 18 inches on center. |
| Maintenance | I prefer to remove the dead leaves in the spring gently. Gently is the key word since some Heuchera do not produce stout clumps, and pieces are easily broken off. Heuchera may frost heave, and a mulch will help prevent this. If they do heave, gently push the plants back into the ground or digging in to reset the plant. Do this in the spring. Rejuvenation by division may be needed as the plants get older and form thick, heavy stems at the base of the plant. Depending on the species, some produce a prodigious amount of flower scapes, which should be deadheaded. |
| Propagation | Can be grown from seed but there will be variation in the foliage color. Easy to increase by division of the clump into pieces of the thick rhizome. |
| Cultivar Origin | Originated in either Powis Castle of Wales or Kew Gardens in England. Choose Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association in 1991. |
| Misc Facts | One of the first purple leaf varieties to be put into full-scale distribution. AKA: Heuchera Palace Purple, Heuchera Powis Castle |
| Author's Notes | I can still recall the excitement I felt when these plants were first introduced to the market. Nowadays, there are countless variations of Coral bells available, which can be quite overwhelming. I used to grow thousands of Palace Purple plants at my nursery. Since most plants were grown from seed, there was variation in the color of the leaves. |
| Notes & Reference | #4-Herbaceous Perennial Plants (Alan Armitage), #274-Site Authors' observations and growing experiences, #275-North Carolina Botanical Garden (https://floraquest.org/plant/) |
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