I’ve been a fan of Heuchera and Tiarella for quite a while but Heucherella, a hybrid of these two genera, has produced some awesome offspring.

Color of Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’ overwintered in container and into March

 

 

Over the past seven years, I’ve grown several cultivars of Heucherella (Foamy Bells) but my favorite is ‘Sweet Tea’. I love the way the color changes during the year. In early spring and late fall, the foliage is distinctly maroon and orange

 

Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’ in June in container with Carex ‘Banana Boat’, Oxalis ‘Charmed Wine’, Coleus, and Lobelia erinus

 

 

 

but as temperatures rise in late May and June, the foliage becomes more chartreuse with markedly maroon venation.

 

 

 

 

 

Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’ in bloom

 

Its white, small, bell-shaped flowers bloom in late spring on tall stalks held well above the foliage and add another element of interest but I grow this Heucherella mainly for its foliage color. Although the foliage is only a few inches high, the flower stalks are usually 12-20” high. Its spread is determined by the richness of the soil and the amount of moisture it receives. Although it prefers barely moist soil, it is also fairly drought resistant once established.

Color of Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’ from September through November

I have grown Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’ in the ground in partial shade and in a container where it winters over quite well, in spite of being the recipient of late afternoon sun. The weather outside now is miserable but ‘Sweet Tea’ is a joy beside the door all year round.