Heuchera micrantha Cappuccino

Heuchera micrantha 'Cappuccino' bears a multitude of small cream-white flowers in early summer. The flowers appear above beautiful foliage which blends bronze and olive-green with silver highlights. The leaves are lined with pink-purple on their underside, visible at the turn of its numerous undulations. This perennial forms a dense and compact cushion of evergreen leaves, making it a good ground cover. This undemanding variety has good cold and wet resistance.

'Cappuccino' belongs to the Saxifragaceae family. Heuchera micrantha, from which it originates, is native to Western Canada and the United States. This plant generally grows in the inland or coastal regions of California, through the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada in evergreen forests. It tolerates wet soils better than other heuchera varieties. H. micrantha has passed on the undulated character of its leaves to all the hybrids with "dishevelled" foliage that can be found on the market today. 'Cappuccino' forms a regular and spreading clump, 30cm (12in) tall with a spread of 40cm (16in). Its growth rate is fairly fast. The foliage is intensely undulated, crisped, and twisted. Each leaf measures about 6cm (2in) in diameter. The background colour varies with the seasons and temperature, but it remains glossy with a silvery and reddish reflection that dresses it in a unique way. From bronze-olive, it becomes brown-purple in summer. Autumn and winter maintain a purple-chocolate hue. The foliage lasts a long time before partially disappearing in December. The flowering takes place in June-July, in the form of panicles of tiny cream-white bell-shaped flowers. This plant has a rhizomatous base with a shallow root system.

Place 'Cappuccino' at the base of old roses, with light pink or orange flowers that its dark foliage will particularly enhance. It will also have a very nice effect bordering a predominantly red flower bed, paired with Lobelia 'Queen Victoria', columbine 'Ruby Port', or chocolate cosmos. It can also be used as ground cover to fill the base of spring-flowering bushes. It will thrive in a moist rockery. It will bring dynamism to the garden. Combine it with hostas, grasses, and ferns for a wild effect. It will also be a good companion for shrubs, planted in the understory. In a rockery, place a light mulch at its feet contrasting with its beautiful foliage. Finally, it makes an ideal ground cover, with remarkable colours. For a wonderful display, pair this heuchera with blue flowers, the only shade it really lacks. Heuchera is ideal for pots, containers, and planters. A good cut flower, the graceful bell-shaped flowers of this plant bring lightness to bouquets.