Coral bells (Heuchera sanguinea 'Snow Storm')
Heuchera sanguinea 'Snow Storm' offers medium green, marbled foliage and stunning cerise red blooms, perfect for borders.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’, commonly known as Coral bells, is a highly valued herbaceous perennial cherished for its delicate yet striking appearance and reliable summer color. This cultivar stands out with its medium green basal leaves visibly marbled with white, providing year-round interest even outside the blooming period. It produces airy panicles holding cerise red, bell-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds, making it a functional and aesthetic addition to any garden space.
Mature plants form a neat basal mound, typically reaching 1 to 2 feet in height when flowering stems rise above the foliage. Coral bells thrive when provided with humusy, organically rich, well-drained soils. While it adapts to sun exposure, maximizing garden impact often means balancing light needs based on your specific climate zone.
The longevity and hardiness of Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ ensure it remains a garden staple. It performs well in various garden settings, from defined borders to looser woodland or rock garden designs. Ensuring consistent moisture is crucial, especially when grown in full sun, to prevent foliage decline.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Saxifragaceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 4-8
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 1-2 ft
- Spread: 1-1.5 ft
- Bloom Time: June to July
- Bloom Description: Cerise red
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
Plant Coral bells in spring or fall into humusy, organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils. While Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ performs well in rocky soils, you must avoid heavy clay, which can lead to poor drainage and root issues. In cooler northern climates, this plant prefers full sun for the best performance, whereas southern gardeners should situate it where it receives afternoon shade to prevent scorching and foliage decline.
Maintain medium soil moisture consistency; drying out, particularly in full sun, will stress the plant. Fertilizing is rarely necessary if the soil is adequately improved with organic matter prior to planting. Deadheading faded flower stems regularly is recommended, as this encourages the plant to produce additional bloom potential throughout the summer season.
For winter protection in colder climates, apply a winter mulch after the ground freezes to help prevent damaging root heaving caused by fluctuating temperatures. Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ benefits from rejuvenation every 3 to 4 years, where established clumps should be divided in the spring to maintain vigor and shape.
Landscape Uses
The showy, long-blooming nature of Coral bells makes them exceptionally versatile in landscape design. They are commonly incorporated into densely planted borders, adding texture and contrasting color among sparser foliage plants. Mass planting groups of Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ along paths or walkways creates an informal yet effective edging display.
These perennials also thrive in containers, offering season-long performance, particularly where afternoon shade can be provided on hot patios. In rock gardens or open woodland settings, they blend seamlessly, leveraging their slightly rugged cultural needs. Their compact size also makes them excellent choices for front-of-border plantings where they won’t obscure shorter companions.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Heuchera sanguinea, commonly called coral bells, is an herbaceous, clump-forming perennial primarily native to cliffs, hills and alpine areas from New Mexico and Arizona south into northern Mexico. ‘Snow Storm’ features medium green basal leaves marbled with white and panicles of cerise red flowers which bloom in late spring into summer on wiry stems rising above the foliage to 18” tall. The flowers are sweetly fragrant and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, often extending their bloom time if spent flowers are removed promptly.
Tolerances
- Tolerates rocky soils
Potential Problems
Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ generally enjoys a good reputation for low pest and disease pressure, meaning serious insect or fungal issues are rare when cultural needs are met. The primary management concern relates to winter stress, specifically frost heaving of the roots which can occur when winter temperatures fluctuate widely, exposing the root crown to severe freezing and thawing cycles. Applying a proper winter mulch after the ground has firmly frozen helps stabilize soil temperatures and prevents this movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Coral bells suitable for?
Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ is reliably winter hardy in USDA Zones 4 through 8.
How large does Coral bells grow?
Mature plants typically form a foliage mound reaching 1 to 2 feet in height and spreading between 1 and 1.5 feet wide.
When does Corals bells bloom?
This variety exhibits its main flush of cerise red flowers between June and July.
What sun exposure does Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ need?
It performs best with full sun exposure in cool northern locations, though it prefers part afternoon shade, especially in hotter southern climates.
Conclusion
Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ provides enduring value through its uniquely marbled foliage backdrop, complemented by cheerful cerise blooms that attract hummingbirds. Ensuring proper drainage and adequate moisture management are key to unlocking the best performance from your Coral bells. Before planting, confirm that your garden’s USDA zone falls within the 4 to 8 range for success.
Companion Planting
Selecting appropriate neighbors helps maximize the visual appeal and cultural suitability for Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’. Because it requires consistent moisture but demands well-drained soil, pair it with other shade-tolerant perennials that share similar needs, such as Astilbe, Hosta, or woodland Ferns. These companions create lush, layered environments where the ‘Snow Storm’ foliage color truly pops against darker greens.
In areas where you utilize this Coral bells cultivar in full sun beds, ensure companion plants are robust enough to handle consistent watering. Low-growing Sedums or creeping Thymes that tolerate better drainage can work alongside Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ in sunnier, rockier placements, providing contrast in texture without competing heavily for resources.
Design Ideas for Foliage Interest
While the cerise flowers of Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ are attractive, the marbled foliage is the star, particularly during the shoulder seasons. Use the lighter, marbled leaves as an effective “spot color” throughout shaded beds, breaking up the monotony of solid green plantings. Consider placing them adjacent to dark-leafed Ajuga or deep purple Heuchera varieties to emphasize the white marbling.
When using Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Storm’ near pathways, utilize their fine texture and mounding habit to soften hard edges. Their natural growth pattern lends itself well to cottage garden styling or contemporary mass plantings, offering reliable structure between spring bulbs and late-season Asters.
