General Culture:

Best grown in organically rich, humusy, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Performs well in full sun in the north, but prefers some shade (particularly in the heat of the afternoon) in the South. In the St. Louis area, best foliage color may occur in sunny spots with part afternoon shade. Scorch and general foliage decline usually occur if soils are allowed to dry out. If grown in full sun, consistent moisture is particularly important. Remove stems of faded flowers to encourage additional bloom. Although the flowers of this cultivar are quite attractive, some gardeners may still prefer to remove flower stems before flowering if plants are being grown as ground covers for their foliage texture and color. Foliage is essentially evergreen in warm winter climates, but the amount of retained foliage color in cold winter climates such as St. Louis depends in large part upon the severity of the temperatures. In cold winter climates, a winter mulch applied after the ground freezes will help prevent root heaving. Divide clumps in spring every 3-4 years.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

‘Vesuvius’ is a clump-forming coral bells hybrid cultivar that features deep purple leaves with a light silver overlay and bright orange-red flowers. It reportedly is more inclined to rebloom and produces more flowering stalks than most other hybrid heucheras. The rounded, lobed, long-petioled leaves form a basal mound to 7” tall that spreads to 17” wide. Tiny, orange-red flowers borne in open, airy panicles appear in late spring to early summer on slender, wiry stems rising well above the foliage mound, typically to 20-24” tall. U. S. Plant Patent PP13,215 issued November 12, 2002.

Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems. Frost heaving of roots may occur when winter temperatures fluctuate widely.

Uses:

Mass as a ground cover or group. Rock gardens, borders and open woodland gardens. Effective as an edger along paths or walkways.

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