Good Grief — How Do I Know Which Coral Bells To Sell?
June 18, 2008 
There are many fine new plants out there and it is fun to jump on the newest of the new. Without doubt, the hype that accompanies them resonates with growers, retailers and consumers. Lots of new genera have surfaced in the last five years, but probably none have resulted in so much confusion to the resonatees as the coral bells–heuchera. Bravo to breeders these days, but they have become so accomplished that coral bells as a group is threatened with the death knell of becoming a commodity. However, to believe that every new (or old) coral bell is the next Holy Grail is to believe in the Easter Bunny. I, for one, love the Easter Bunny story, but I don’t bet my house on his appearance.
This quick article is not meant to pick on heucheras; next month I may direct my comments to purple cone flowers (echinaceas), tickseeds (coreopsis) or even ferns. And of course, every annual from bacopa to scaevola could use a look, as well.
Here is my bottom line: It really does not matter what you grow or sell as long as the choices are based on something more than a sales pitch. Price and availability are important, but the most important thing emerging today is to make the gardening (landscaping) experience more simple. That means growing fewer cultivars rather than all of them. The problem with a select list is that there must be some selection. With coral bells, it is much easier than it first appears; I recommend you select the best in category. That is, your choice for the best green leaf form, dark purple-leaved, bronze-leaved, best flowering, etc. Make it simple! Most people are not going to ask for coral bells by name, but rather like a hosta, they want to know your opinion in various leaf colors.
And The Winners Are …
I have not seen or trialed every coral bell, and these comments are based on a sample of about 25 cultivars. They are the result of my travels around the country and my students’ assessments in The Gardens at UGA in Athens (30 students, unbiased in-ground evaluations, providing excellent heat and humidity tolerance in all categories). These results are opinions only, but opinions based on real-world data. Choose one or two from each category, and you will simplify everyone’s life.
Best Green Leaf Form: ‘Peppermint Spice,’ ‘Vanilla Spice’ and ‘Pink Lipstick.’ These are often overlooked, because of the buzz surrounding the more colorful leaf forms. These have outstanding vigor and reasonably handsome flowers.
Best Dark Purple Leaf Form: ‘Chocolate Veil,’ ‘Crimson Curls,’ ‘Purple Sails,’ ‘Dolce Licorice’ and ‘Obsidian.’ Probably the most numerous group, with the distinction between dark bronze, purple, violet and almost black becoming increasingly fuzzy. However, these have all shown to be excellent throughout the country.
Best Bronze Leaf Form: ‘Dolce Crème Brule,’ ‘Caramel,’ ‘Silver Scrolls’ and ‘Quilter’s Joy.’ Another confusing group and probably the hardest to quantify. The distinction between bronze and purple is blurry at best, but these received many kudos from many people around the country.
Best Chartreuse Leaf Form: ‘Citronella’ and ‘Lime Rickey.’ Eye catching, even from a distance. There are few of these to choose from, so selection should be reasonably easy.
Best Flowering Form: ‘Rave On,’ ‘Strawberry Swirls,’ ‘Coral Bouquet’ and ‘Peppermint Spice.’ The improvement in flowering in this genus is staggering, and the combination of colorful foliage and pink to scarlet flowers captures many eyes.
Best In Show: ‘Rave On,’ ‘Peppermint Spice,’ ‘Vanilla Spice’ and ‘Dolce Crème Brule.’ This was simply a category in which I asked, “If you could chose but one cultivar for your mother, which one would you chose?” There were many answers of course (depending on the mother), but these are a few winners.
The bottom line is simplify! Base your choices on data from trials near you, from gardeners and on the opinion of those who use them, not only on those who sell them.
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