Perennial of the Month-- January 2009

(hue' ker-ah)  (pronunciation at link, turn up volume if too low)

Common name: Silver Lode Coralbells

Family: Saxifrage, Saxifragaceae

Height x width: 1-3ft x 1ft

Growth rate, habit: moderate, mounded clump with upright flower stalks

Foliage: upper silvery gray-green with dark green veins, lower reddish-purple; rounded and lobed to 2in. wide

Flowers: late spring, early summer panicles in stout burgundy stalks above leaves, 24 to 36in. tall, white open panicles

Hardiness: USDA zones 4-9, AHS heat zones 2 to 8

Soil: well-drained, moderate moisture, organic; tolerates dry shade

Light: full sun to part shade (especially South)

Pests and problems: none serious; leaf scorch if too much sun with too little water

Landscape habit, uses:  part shade gardens, groundcover massing, rock gardens, fronts of borders, edging walks, cut flower;  combines well with foamflowers, hellebores, astilbe, primroses, silver bugloss, Japanese painted fern

Other interest: very similar to 'Raspberry Ice' only with white flowers, more upright panicles; U. S. Plant Patent PP13,339 issued December 10, 2002; from Blooms of Bressingham bred by Charles Oliver of PA; hybrid of H. ‘Petite Bronze Pearl’ (female/seed parent) and H. ‘Harmonic Convergence’ (male/pollen parent); foliage may be evergreen in warm climates, less in severe winters; noted for more flowers, longer flowering season, hardiness, tolerance to dry soils, larger habit

Other culture: divide clumps every 3-4 years, a mulch around crowns (not on top) after ground freezes in fall may prevent root heaving; removing spent flowers may encourage rebloom in warm climates

Propagation: commercially from licensed propagators

Sources:  Blooms of Bressingham growers and retailers