''Heuchera'' ( or ) is a genus of largely evergreen

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s in the family

Saxifragaceae Saxifragaceae is a family of herbaceous perennial flowering plants, within the core eudicot order Saxifragales. The taxonomy of the family has been greatly revised and the scope much reduced in the era of molecular phylogenetic analysis. The f ...

, all native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. Common names include alumroot and coral bells.

Description

''Heuchera'' have

palmate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

ly lobed leaves on long petioles, and a thick, woody

rootstock A rootstock is part of a plant, often an underground part, from which new above-ground growth can be produced. It could also be described as a stem with a well developed root system, to which a bud from another plant is grafted. It can refer to a ...

. The genus was named after Johann Heinrich von Heucher (1677–1746), an 18th-century

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

physician,''Heuchera''.
Flora of North America. and Professor at

Wittenberg University Wittenberg University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio. It has 1,326 full-time students representing 33 states and 9 foreign countries. Wittenberg University is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. ...

. There are approximately 37 species, but the

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

of the genus is difficult because the species often intergrade with one another,

hybridization Hybridization (or hybridisation) may refer to: *Hybridization (biology), the process of combining different varieties of organisms to create a hybrid *Orbital hybridization, in chemistry, the mixing of atomic orbitals into new hybrid orbitals *Nu ...

is common, and the flowers change markedly in proportion as they develop.

Distribution and habitat

Alumroot species grow in varied habitats, so some species look quite different from one another, and have varying preferences regarding temperature, soil, and other natural factors. ''H. maxima'' is found on the

Channel Islands of California The Channel Islands () are an eight-island archipelago located within the Southern California Bight in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. The four Northern Channel Islands are part of the Transverse Ranges geologic province, and ...

, where it grows on rocky, windy, saline-washed ocean shores, and ''H. sanguinea'', called coral bells because of its cerise

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s, can be found in the warm, dry canyons of

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and adjacent

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

and

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. In the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, the plants grow best in shade. Several alumroots and their crosses are used as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

Uses

Native American peoples The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...

used some ''Heuchera'' species medicinally. The

Tlingit The Tlingit ( or ; also spelled Tlinkit) are indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their language is the Tlingit language (natively , pronounced ),

used ''H. glabra'' as an herbal remedy for inflammation of the

testicle A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testostero ...

s caused by

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...

.''Heuchera glabra''.
Flora of North America. To the

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

, ''H. novamexicana'' was a

panacea In Greek mythology, Panacea (Greek ''Πανάκεια'', Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art: * Panacea (the goddess of universal ...

and a pain reliever.'' Heuchera novamexicana''.
Flora of North America. The roots of ''H. cylindrica'' had a variety of medicinal uses among the

Blackfoot The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'' or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or " Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up the Blackfoot or Bla ...

, Flathead,

Kutenai The Kutenai ( ), also known as the Ktunaxa ( ; ), Ksanka ( ), Kootenay (in Canada) and Kootenai (in the United States), are an indigenous people of Canada and the United States. Kutenai bands live in southeastern British Columbia, northern ...

Okanagan The Okanagan ( ), also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is part ...

, Colville, and Shuswap.''Heuchera cylindrica''.
Flora of North America.

Cultivation

The majority of ''Heuchera'' sold for gardens are hybrids of '' H. americana'', such as 'Green Spice'. The original 'Purple Palace' discovered in a

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

in England is believed to be a ''H. micrantha'' × ''H. villosa'' hybrid,Cullina, W
''New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada''.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000. , which was then crossed with ''H. americana''. Another group of hybrids are crosses of ''Heuchera'' with ''

Tiarella ''Tiarella'', the foamflowers, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae. The generic name ''Tiarella'' means "little turban", which suggests the shape of the seed capsules. Worldwide there are seven species, one each in eastern ...

'' treated under the name × ''Heucherella''. Gardeners and horticulturists have developed a multitude of hybrids between various ''Heuchera'' species. There is an extensive array of blossom sizes, shapes, and colors, foliage types, and geographic tolerances. They are valued as foliage plants, producing rosettes of leaves in shades of green, pink and bronze, often

variegated Variegation is the appearance of differently coloured zones in the leaves and sometimes the stems and fruit of plants. Species with variegated individuals are sometimes found in the understory of tropical rainforests, and this habitat is the s ...

or textured; with long

thyrse A thyrse is a type of inflorescence in which the main axis grows indeterminately, and the subaxes (branches) have determinate growth.{{cite book , author1=Hickey, M., author2=King, C. , year=2001 , title=The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Bot ...

s of white, green, pink or red flowers in spring. The following

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

s have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

:- * 'Blackberry Jam' * 'Can-Can' * 'Green Spice' * 'Lime Marmalade' * 'Magic Wand' * 'Marmalade' * 'Obsidian' * 'Purple Petticoats' * 'Regina' * 'Sashay' * 'Walnut' (Fox series)

Selected species

Species include:''Heuchera'': List of Species.
Flora of North America.''Heuchera''.
USDA PLANTS.GRIN Species Records of ''Heuchera''.
Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). * '' Heuchera abramsii'' - San Gabriel alumroot * '' Heuchera acutifolia'' R. A. Folk & J. V. Freudenstein (2014
Revision of ''Heuchera'' Section ''Rhodoheuchera'' Subsections ''Hemsleyanae'' and ''Rosendahliae'' Subsectio Nova (Saxifragaceae)
''Systematic Botany'' 39(3): 850-874. * '' Heuchera alba'' - white alumroot * '' Heuchera americana'' - American alumroot * '' Heuchera bracteata'' - Rocky Mountain alumroot * '' Heuchera brevistaminea'' - Laguna Mountain alumroot * '' Heuchera caespitosa'' - tufted alumroot * '' Heuchera caroliniana'' - Carolina alumroot * ''

Heuchera chlorantha ''Heuchera'' ( or ) is a genus of largely evergreen perennial plants in the family Saxifragaceae, all native to North America. Common names include alumroot and coral bells. Description ''Heuchera'' have palmately lobed leaves on long petio ...

'' - green-flowered alumroot * '' Heuchera cylindrica'' - roundleaf alumroot, lava alumroot * '' Heuchera eastwoodiae'' - Senator Mine alumroot * ''

Heuchera elegans ''Heuchera elegans'' is a species of flowering plant in the Saxifragaceae, saxifrage family known by the common name urn-flowered alumroot. It is Endemism, endemic to the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California, where it grows on the rocky ...

'' - urnflower alumroot * '' Heuchera glabra'' - alpine alumroot *'' Heuchera glomerulata'' - Chiricahua Mountain alumroot * '' Heuchera grossulariifolia'' - gooseberryleaf alumroot * '' Heuchera hallii'' - Front Range alumroot * ''

Heuchera hirsutissima ''Heuchera hirsutissima'' is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name shaggy-haired alumroot. Distribution The perennial is endemic to the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County, California, where it grows ...

'' - shaggy-haired alumroot * '' Heuchera inconstans''R. A. Folk & P. J. Alexander (2015
Two New Species, ''Heuchera soltisii'' and ''H. inconstans'', with Further Taxonomic Notes for the Western Group of ''Heuchera'' Section ''Heuchera'' (Saxifragaceae)
''Systematic Botany'' 40(2):489-500. * ''

Heuchera lakelae ''Heuchera'' ( or ) is a genus of largely evergreen perennial plants in the family Saxifragaceae, all native to North America. Common names include alumroot and coral bells. Description ''Heuchera'' have palmately lobed leaves on long Petiole ...

'' R. Folk (2013
''Heuchera lakelae'' (Saxifragaceae), a new species from the Sierra La Marta and Sierra Coahuilón, Coahuila and Nuevo León, Mexico
''Phytotaxa'' 124: 37-42. * '' Heuchera longiflora'' - longflower alumroot * ''

Heuchera longipetala ''Heuchera'' ( or ) is a genus of largely evergreen perennial plants in the family Saxifragaceae, all native to North America. Common names include alumroot and coral bells. Description ''Heuchera'' have palmately lobed leaves on long petio ...

'' * ''

Heuchera maxima ''Heuchera maxima'' is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family, known by the common names island alum root, Channel Islands coral bells, and Jill of the rocks. It is endemic to the four northern Channel Islands of California, withi ...

'' - island alumroot, jill-of-the-rocks * '' Heuchera merriamii'' - Merriam's alumroot * ''

Heuchera mexicana ''Heuchera'' ( or ) is a genus of largely evergreen perennial plants in the family Saxifragaceae, all native to North America. Common names include alumroot and coral bells. Description ''Heuchera'' have palmately lobed leaves on long petio ...

'' * '' Heuchera micrantha'' - crevice alumroot, smallflower alumroot * '' Heuchera missouriensis''R.A. Folk and J.V. Freudenstein. 2015
* ''Heuchera novomexicana">"Sky islands" in the eastern U.S.A.? – Strong phylogenetic structure in the ''Heuchera parviflora'' group (Saxifragaceae). Taxon 64: 254– 271. * ''Heuchera novomexicana
'' - New Mexico alumroot, range alumroot * ''Heuchera parishii'' - Mill Creek alumroot * ''Heuchera parviflora'' - littleflower alumroot * ''Heuchera parvifolia'' - littleleaf alumroot, common alumroot * ''Heuchera pilosissima'' - seaside alumroot * '' Heuchera puberula'' * '' Heuchera pubescens'' - downy alumroot * '' Heuchera pulchella'' - Sandia Mountain alumroot * '' Heuchera richardsonii'' - Richardson's alumroot * '' Heuchera rosendahlii'' * ''

Heuchera rubescens ''Heuchera rubescens'', with the common name pink alumroot, is a species of ''Heuchera''. The small perennial plant is native to the Western United States and northern Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States ...

'' - pink alumroot, red alumroot, jack-o'the-rocks * '' Heuchera sanguinea'' - coral bells * '' Heuchera soltisii'' * '' Heuchera villosa'' - hairy alumroot, maple-leaved alumroot * '' Heuchera wellsiae'' * '' Heuchera woodsiaphila'' P. J. Alexander (2008
''Heuchera woodsiaphila'' (Saxifragaceae), a new species from the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico
''Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas'' 2(1): 447-453. * '' Heuchera wootonii'' - White Mountain alumroot Hybrids include: *''Heuchera'' × ''brizoides''

Gallery

File:Heuchera micrantha 1586.JPG, ''H. micrantha'' var. ''diversifolia'' Image:Heuchera 1.jpg, ''Heuchera'' × ''brizoides'' File:Heuchera americana Green spice.jpg, ''H. americana'' 'Green Spice' Image:Heuchera Starry Night garden show.jpg, ''Heuchera'' 'Starry Night' File:06 23 2021 CarexHeuchera.jpg, Obsidian Heuchera

References

External links

*
Jepson Manual: Genus ''Heuchera''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q972663 Saxifragaceae genera Flora of North America