Heuchera Black Forest Cake

The 'Black Forest Cake' heuchera, is named after the famous German chocolate cake decorated with cherries. This variety indeed forms a lovely clump of rounded leaves in a very dark brown colour, with satin sheen, topped in summer with slender spikes of cherry red bell-shaped flowers. In the garden, it will make a superb ground cover and on the terrace, makes for unconventional pots.

Heuchera 'Black Forest Cake' belongs to the Saxifragaceae family. It is a recent horticultural selection from Terra Nova Nurseries (USA). The plant will reach an average height of 15 cm (6in) (foliage) and a width of 30 cm (12in) in 3-4 years. This heuchera forms a spreading cushion-like clump, densely packed. Its evergreen foliage consists of rounded leaves with lobed margins. They have a very dark color, which is particularly remarkable as it remains very durable throughout the seasons. Their colour resembles dark chocolate, with some reflections of a very dark purple. A cool glaze covers the older leaves. The flowering, light and airy, generally occurs in June. The flowers, in small bell-shaped clusters, are a pinkish-red colour and are arranged along an erect and arching stem.

Heuchera 'Black Forest Cake' is a highly decorative ground cover for partially shaded areas of the garden that are not too dry in summer. Its foliage remains interesting throughout the year, and its flowering brings a lot of lightness to any setting. For example, combine it with the blue blooms of forget-me-nots, vernal omphalodes, brunneras, ajugas, columbines, campanulas, or the lush foliage of hostas, always away from the scorching sun. It always pairs well with foamflowers. It grows very well in pots, along with grasses like Carex testacea and Agropyron magellanicum. In a small shaded rock garden, it will accompany small ferns like Adiantum pedatum, or the beautiful marbled foliage of Asarum splendens. When planted en masse, heuchera forms an extraordinary border along an east-facing alley.