Heuchera 'TNHEU041'

CORAL BELLS, ALUM ROOT
Trade name: Crème Brûlée™
Family: Saxifragaceae
Pronounced: HOY-ka-ra

 

Quick Jumps

Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes

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GROWING GUIDE

Origin:
Garden.
Plant group:
Perennials
Hardiness:
Sunset zones:1-9, 14-24.
USDA zones: 4-8.
Mature size:
Height: 10 inches ( 25 cm).
Width: 18 inches ( 45 cm).
Flowering period:
Late spring to early summer.
Flowering attributes:
Panicles of greenish-white flowers on pink stems.
Leaf attributes:
Amber, peach, creamy-white hues make up the rich colors of the leaves, with pink undersides and pink stems. After spring foliage the leaves mature to olive green summer and winter foliage.
Growth habit:
Mounding.
Light:
Full sun to partial shade.
Soil:
Light, fertile, moist, well-drained soil.
Feeding:
Side dress with compost or manure in fall. Fertilize in spring with a complete organic fertilizer.
Propagation Methods:
Divide in early spring by digging up plant and dividing the clump into pieces.
In autumn pull off rooted offsets from the sides of older crowns. Pot the offsets up and overwinter in cold frame or greenhouse.
Remove offsets in spring and root as a cutting.

 

Rainy Side Notes

This Heuchera looks similar to H. 'Mahogany', which I planted in the same bed close by. I can distinguish the two by the browner hues of 'Mahogany'. Crème Brûlée™ has clearer colors of peach, rust, and creamy white. The flowers are indistinctive; making it worthwhile to prune the flower stalks off and let the foliage be the star.

This perennial is evergreen and adds a lot of color and texture to the garden all year round. Planted in the dappled shade of a plum tree, it's a fun combination with black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'), Chinese fairy bells (Disporum cantoniense ‘Night Heron’), and primroses (Primula 'Green Lace'). Here in the Pacific Northwest we can grow this coral bell in full sun. If grown south of the PNW, this Heuchera will need afternoon shade to prevent the leaves from scorching. The foliage begins as a coppery peach to rust hues.

No one knows who the papa is, but Crème Brûlée™ is a vast improvement over its seed parent Heuchera 'Amber Waves'. Patented by Terra Nova Nursery in 2006 as Heuchera 'TNHEU041', this is its true name. Proven Winners selected it as part of their Heuchera Dolce series and gave it the trademark name. Unfortunately, when the trade name fades away this Heuchera is forever saddled with 'TNHEU41'.

Photographed in author's garden.

More reading:
A Passion for Heucheras (Article Archives).
More Heucheras in the Gallery.