Alum Root (Heuchera)

Low-growing, shade-loving, and semi-evergreen.
Highlights

Want some color in your shady garden? This is the plant for you. Alum Root or Heuchera (it goes by a few names) is a short native plant known for its colorful leaf cultivars. They keep their leaves year-round, even in cold climates. Summer brings tall, delicate flower stalks. Heucheras are perfect for shade gardens, super easy to grow, and are easily found at most plant nurseries. Scroll below to find planting tips and a rainbow of heuchera options.

Alum Root (Heuchera)
Latin name:
Heuchera americana, Heuchera villosa
Yes—this is all heuchera!
Alum Root (Heuchera)
Here’s what we’ll cover. Jump to what you need.

Heuchera is a native plant beloved for many reasons: it’s resilient and evergreen in most climates, and it has cultivars in almost every shade of the rainbow. In this article, we’ll share its benefits, introduce some color options, and share planting tips.

Let’s start by getting the name right. This plant is known by several names. 

Heuchera, alumroot, coral bells—these are all the same plant

This plant has many common names: alum root, alumroot (one word), American alum root, heuchera, and coral bells. On The Plant Native, we’ll call it by its Latin genus name, heuchera. No matter what you call it, it loves to be planted in shade or part-shade gardens.

Plant nerd interlude

How do I say heuchera?

It’s pronounced whooo-ker-ah. Imagine you’re a wizened owl from a kids’ movie to get the first sound right (whoooooo likes whoooooo-ker-ah!)

Heuchera are low-to-the-ground plants, with flowers on long elegant stalks in the spring

Is Heuchera a good choice for my yard?

Yes, if you’ve got shade and want something that asks for almost nothing in return.

Heuchera is an easygoing native perennial that brings color, texture, and year-round interest—without much work from you. It’s a go-to pick for shady spots and plays well with others in a garden bed.

  • Yes, if your yard gets shade or part shade. Heuchera thrives without full sun.
  • Yes, if you want color in every season. Many varieties stay evergreen, even in colder zones.
  • Yes, if you’re looking for something compact. It tops out around 12–16 inches tall.
  • Yes, if you want a low-maintenance plant. No fertilizer, no special soil, no problem.
  • Yes, if you want a plant that comes back every year. Heuchera is a true perennial.

Ready for the fun part? Heuchera comes in a whole range of crayon-box colors—from deep purple to chartreuse. Let’s take a look.

A rainbow of baby heucheras ready for your shady garden

Heuchera cultivars​ offer a rainbow of leaf colors

It is rare to find the true native Heuchera americana or Heuchera villosa at plant nurseries. The true native species are humble, green-leaved plants that don’t look as showy—and sell as well—as the cultivars.

Enter a hundred years of heuchera cultivars

Since the 1800s, heuchera plants have been bred to create a rainbow of cultivars. (Wondering what a cultivar is? Here’s a short cultivar overview.) Most heuchera cultivars come from  H. Americana and H. Villosa. According to the native plant experts in Mt. Cuba Gardens, these plants have “lent hardiness, vigor, and important color components to modern hybrids, transforming shade gardens around the world.”

Heuchera cultivars offer different foliage colors and shapes, from deep purple to vibrant orange, red, and yellow, and from round to ruffled, lobed, or deeply cut leaves. New cultivars are released every year. Here are some nursery favorites:

Heuchera- 'Midnight Rose'

Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’

Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’ reminds you of what a Jackson Pollock painting might look like under a black light.

Heuchera 'Peach Flambé' by Acabashi

Heuchera ‘Peach Flambé’

Heuchera ‘Peach Flambé’ sounds and looks like a color of nail polish.

heuchera-forever-purple-native-cultivar-for-shade

Heuchera ‘Forever Purple’

Plant some Heuchera ‘Forever Purple’ in your yard, and neighbors will not believe it’s real.

heuchera-coral-bells-electric-lime

Heuchera ‘Electric Lime’

Heuchera ‘Electric Lime’ does indeed look like a margarita plugged in. Plant this cultivar alongside other green leaf colors to help all nearby plants look extra spectacular.

Which heuchera should you plant?

The answer to this question at The Plant Native is always the same: plant what you love and plant what you find. Sometimes finding a very specific native plant can be difficult. It’s better to visit your local nurseries with an open mind. Oftentimes, what you find is even better than what you had hoped for.

If you’re looking for heuchera cultivars that will do the best in your garden…

Mt. Cuba Center—the largest native plant garden in America—looked at 83 different cultivars and found ten heuchera cultivars that stood out.

According to Mt. Cuba: “After three years of evaluating plant habit, vigor, bloom time, flower color, sun tolerance, pest and disease resistance, and overall adaptability, ten cultivars stood out as top performers.”

These heuchera cultivar stars are: ‘Citronelle’, ‘Bronze Wave’, ‘Cajun Fire’, ‘Color Dream’, ‘Steel City’, ‘Caramel’, ‘Apple Crisp’, ‘Frosted Violet’, ‘Southern Comfort’, and ‘Spellbound’.”

Plant a few, together!

Heuchera cultivars also look great when planted together. The similar heights and rainbow of leaves help their differences shine.

heuchera-container-planter-native-gardening

What are some good places to plant heuchera?

Plant heuchera in borders, entryways, containers, and garden edges.

Heuchera are low-lying plants (around 6-16″ tall), so plant them along the edge of your garden to see them shine. (They can disappear behind taller plants.) They work great in front walkways and entryways; their mostly evergreen leaves keep your front door verdant. Heucheras are also great in containers and window boxes.

Here is some landscaping inspo as you plan your native garden:

Planting FAQs

Heuchera blooms in the late spring/early summer. Their blooms are delicate spikes of tiny white flowers.

Yep! Heuchera keep their leaves—even in the winter. The leaves in the winter can look a little dreary and scraggly, but they are there. They perk up and grow new leaves in the spring.

Heuchera is easy to grow by seed. You can plant them directly in the garden in the fall or start them in small pots in the spring (replant them in your garden when they are big enough.)

To plant heuchera in the fall, scatter seeds and loosely throw mulch or dirt over the seeds. Seedlings will emerge in the spring. (Yes, it really is that easy! Remember, native plants have survived for thousands of years without us and our trowels.)

After the seedlings emerge, water them daily for the first two months to ensure they get enough moisture to grow.

In the spring, you can start heuchera outside when the soil is warm 65°F (18°C) — or start plants inside.

Grow seeds outside

Take the seeds individually and plant them into holes 1/8″ deep. Water daily for the first two months to ensure they get enough moisture to grow. Watch the seedlings emerge in the spring, grow greenery that summer, and bloom in future summers.

Start seeds inside

Start heuchera inside in small pots under grow lights. When the danger of frost has passed, move the pots outside to get used to the wind/light/environment (this is called ‘hardening’.)  Plant after they have been ‘hardened’ for a week. Water daily for the first two months to ensure they get enough moisture to grow. 

 

There are several great places to buy heuchera seeds online (it can be difficult to find them—even at local nurseries.)

Where is heuchera native?

Within the Heuchera genus are quite a few different plants (a genus is a group of plants with species within it). There are 35 native species of heuchera in North America. The USDA plant directory includes a list of them all. There is even one species native to just Arizona!

In this article, we focus on two plants, which are both called ‘heuchera’ for short. The first is Heuchera americana, and the second is Heuchera villosa. Both of these plants have slightly different native ranges in North America. These plants are where most Crayola-bright heuchera cultivars are derived (more on that in a few paragraphs).

Both heuchera species mentioned have huge native ranges, making them great plant choices for most American and Canadian gardeners:

heuchera-americana-native-map-north-america

What is Heuchera americana’s native range?

Heuchera americana will grow easily in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, some of the Northeast, and most of the South (map from the USDA)

What is Heuchera villosa’s native range?

Heuchera villosa has a slightly smaller range and is found in warmer climates.

Where can I find heuchera plants?

You can almost always find heuchera at your local native plant nursery (and sometimes even at big box stores.) Since they are so easy to grow and so fun to look at, you can consistently find heuchera plants for your garden. Here are ways to find or buy heuchera plants:

Alum Root (Heuchera)

Where can I find seeds and plants?

Finding native plants can be challenging (we partly blame Marie Antoinette.) To make it easier, we’ve assembled four sourcing ideas.

Native Nursery List

300+ native nurseries makes finding one a breeze

Online Native Plant Sellers

We've included 100+ online resources to help

Society Plant Sales

Every state has a native plant society; find yours

Online Communities

Local Facebook groups are a great plant source

What pairs well with heuchera?

Heuchera looks great planted alongside other native plants that like shade or part shade, like native azaleas, Celandine Poppy, Golden Alexander, rhododendrons, mountain laurel, Foamflower, and some native shade-loving asters.

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Foamflower
wood-poppy-celandine-poppy-native-flower
Celandine Poppy
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Golden Alexander
rosebay-rhododendron-native-shrub-flowering
Rhododendrons

Heuchera is perfect for shady gardens

To say it simply: heuchera is a stunning shade-loving plant that looks great year-round, thanks to its semi-evergreen leaves. Dozens of leaf colors come from a stream of fun cultivars making it easy to bring color and excitement to your native garden. Enjoy building a crayon box in your shade garden, filled with heuchera colors. Looking for other iconic shade-friendly natives? Visit our Beginner’s Guide to Native Azaleas or our Beginner’s Guide to Native Rhododendrons. Happy planting!

Written by Em Lessard. Em is the founder of The Plant Native and a Sustainable Landscapes-certified gardener.

UPDATED —
08/05/2025
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