Heuchera ‘Carnival Cocomint’ Coral Bells

Heuchera ‘Carnival Cocomint’ is an evergreen (in warm climates) perennial offering 3 seasons to year-round interest, blooming early to late spring. Grown mainly for its stunning, intensely colored foliage, the plant’s petite, heavily textured, slightly glossy leaves are lime green with dark veins and purple centers—the deepest hues occurring in the cooler temperatures of spring and fall. Showy sprays of dainty blossoms are borne on long, thin stems and appear to float above the foliage. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds and last a long time in floral arrangements.

A Heuchera x hybrida variety, commonly called heuchera, coral bells, or alumroot, ‘Carnival Cocomint’ is a clumping-forming herbaceous plant with excellent vigor and a low, mounding habit that forms an attractive basal rosette of leaves. Heuchera is a versatile plant for garden or container. Shown to best effect massed or grouped, it is an excellent mixed bedding plant or edging plant for paths or walkways. Ferns, astilbe, geranium, hakonechloa, and hosta are good companion plants for heuchera.

Cold hardy (-30°F) and easy to grow, heuchera is virtually carefree. It grows best in a partially sunny to shady location with average to fertile, medium moist, loose, well-draining soil, having a slightly alkaline pH. But it performs well in most soils. When planting, do not bury the crown of the plant. Although heuchera is somewhat drought tolerant once established, its foliage declines in overly dry soil. Consistent moisture is recommended for this shallow-rooted plant, especially if grown in sunnier spots in hot climates, where afternoon shade may also be beneficial. The plant is low maintenance but mulching in late fall helps to moderate soil temperature and prevent heaving, and deadheading faded flowers promotes additional blooms. Remove dead leaves in spring. ‘Carnival Cocomint’ is heat tolerant and deer resistant.