Heuchera Kassandra - Coral Bells

The Kassandra Heuchera is a worthy descendant of the famous Caramel, whose wonderful evergreen foliage evolves throughout the seasons. Kassandra has perhaps even more colourful, certainly more orange, large leaves with a wine-red underside that change from gold in spring to orange tones in summer, gradually turning to rosy caramel, reddish-pink, and finally brown at the end of the season. In the heart of summer, it is adorned with arched stems bearing a cloud of creamy-white flowers. This Heuchera is greedy and needs fertile soil. It tolerates heat and drought fairly well, but not intense sunlight. In the garden, it will form a fantastic, remarkably colourful ground cover in partial shade or even in full shade.

The 'Kassandra' Heuchera belongs to the Saxifragaceae family. It is a descendant of Heuchera villosa, an undemanding and hardy species native to the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. This hybrid was obtained a few years ago (in 2007) in France by Thierry Delabroye, through cross-breeding the Caramel and Mocha varieties. The plant will reach 40 cm (16in) high (for the foliage) and 50-60 cm (20-24in) wide in 4 to 5 years. This Heuchera forms a spreading, opulent cushion-like clump. Its evergreen foliage is the major asset of this variety. Its large, rounded, slightly lobed leaves display a remarkable colour that evolves throughout the seasons, in a palette of warm and bright colours. The foliage remains decorative in winter. The light and airy flowering begins in June-July and continues until September. The flowers are initially cream-white and then become white, arranged along an upright and arched stem. This plant has a shallow root system.

The Kassandra Heuchera is an excellent ground cover for shaded areas of the garden, even occasionally dry in summer. Its foliage remains decorative throughout the year, and its flowering brings lightness to any setting. For example, pair it with the blue blooms of forget-me-nots, Siberian bugloss, ajuga, columbines, campanulas, or the lush foliage of hostas, always in the shade. It always pairs well with foamflowers. It grows well in pots, alongside grasses such as Carex testacea and Agropyron magellanicum. In a small shady rockery, it will accompany small ferns such as Adiantum pedatum, or the beautiful marbled foliage of Asarum splendens. Planted en masse, it will form an astonishing ground cover along an east-facing pathway.