Heuchera Dolce Wildberry

The Heuchera 'Wildberry' is a recently bred hybrid heuchera that stands out for its deep purple foliage. Compact, it forms a spreading clump of very shiny leaves with charcoal-grey veins, perfectly matched with its summer flowering in short stems of small white and pinkish bells. Close to the 'Forever Purple' variety, it nevertheless retains its intense colour all year round. Not very demanding, this perennial tolerates heat and occasional drought fairly well, but it prefers humus-rich and moist soils as well as semi-shaded exposures. It grows very well in pots.

The 'Wildberry' heuchera is a rhizomatous perennial plant belonging to the saxifrage family. This variety is the result of cross-breeding between Heuchera villosa, which naturally grows on shaded and damp rocks in the Appalachian Mountains in the northeastern United States, and Heuchera americana, an American species tolerant of dry and poor soils. 'Wildberry' forms a regular and spreading clump, 30 cm (12in) in height, 50 cm (20in) in diameter, 40 cm (16in) in flower height. Its growth is quite slow. The background colour varies little with the seasons and temperature, remaining dark and purple. Autumn and early winter enhance its violet colour. The foliage is evergreen, except in very cold climates. The flowering takes place in July-August, in the form of panicles of tiny bell-shaped flowers, white with pinkish anthers. This plant has a shallow root system.

Place the 'Wildberry' Heuchera at the base of old-fashioned roses with light pink flowers, which its purple foliage particularly enhances. It also has a very nice effect as a plant in borders with a dominant red colour: paired with Lobelia 'Queen Victoria' or 'Ruby Port' Columbine, or even with 'Chocolat' Cosmos. It can also be used as ground cover to fill the base of spring-flowering shrubs and thrives in a cool rock garden. When planted in a border, it adds a lot of elegance to the garden. Pair it with blue Hostas, golden grasses, and ferns for a wild effect. Pair this Heuchera with blue flowers, the only colour it really lacks, and it will be a perfect complement. Heuchera is an ideal plant for filling pots, containers, and flower beds.

Heucheras with trembling stems and tiny bells were very fashionable in 19th-century gardens across Europe. They were named "Painter's Despair" by the Impressionist painters, who undoubtedly tried to depict them in vain.