Heuchera villosa Brownies

The Heuchera x villosa 'Brownies' is a very beautiful hybrid heuchera, vigorous and imposing, with a unique colouration. More or less green, milk chocolate or copper bronze, veined with brown, its large palmate leaves with slightly curled edges reveal a pinkish purple underside. In summer, the plant is adorned with charming cream-white flowers carried by thin but sturdy stems. Even in winter, this plant is decorative and brings life to borders and pots throughout the year. Derived from the villosa species, it is also a robust and hardy perennial plant that thrives in semi-shaded, not too dry areas.

Heuchera 'Brownies' belongs to the Saxifragaceae family and is a horticultural creation by Thierry Delabroye. It is a famous descendant of Heuchera villosa, a rhizomatous species that grows spontaneously on shady and humid rocky slopes in the Northeastern United States. 'Brownies' is a vigorous cultivar characterised by its unique colouration.

On average, this plant will reach a height of 45 cm (18in) (foliage) and a width of 60 cm (24in) in 3-4 years. This Heuchera forms a beautiful spreading cushion-like clump. Its winter evergreen foliage is its first asset: the large, palmate leaves are almost velvety, divided into 5 to 7 triangular lobes with toothed edges and numerous dark veins. Their colour changes with the seasons and exposure, but is mostly bronze and milk chocolate with dark chocolate veining. The flowering of this variety 'Brownies' takes place in the heart of summer, between July and late August. Delicate, it takes the form of numerous erect stems reaching 60 cm (24in) in height, emerging well above the leaf clump. Each long, hairy flower stalk is topped with a panicle filled with multiple small cream-white bells. While it tolerates shade, the flowering of this plant will be more generous in the morning sun.

Heuchera 'Brownies' is an original and colourful ground cover, very useful for adding colour to semi-shaded areas of the garden. Its foliage remains decorative throughout the year and its flowering brings a lot of lightness to any setting. For example, combine it with golden heucheras, the blue flowers of forget-me-nots, Omphalodes verna, brunneras, ajugas, columbines, bellflowers, or Japanese grasses (Hakonechloa), always away from the heat of the sun. Its combination with daylilies allows you to play with contrasting textures, which extend beyond the flowering period. Planted en masse, it will form a remarkable border along an east-facing alley. In a cool and shady rock garden, it can be accompanied by tiarellas and heucherellas and Asarum, for example.