What to Plant with Heuchera – 15 Stunning Companion Plants for Coral Bells

Heucheras, also known as coral bells, are stars of the shade garden with their low mounding habit and brilliantly colored foliage. Their nearly neon leaves brighten up dim corners and complement spring bloomers But heucheras don’t have to shine alone. The right companion plants can make coral bells even more striking

In this article, we’ll explore the top companion plant pairings for heucheras and provide tips to create showstopping heuchera combinations

Why Combine Plants with Heuchera?

Heucheras are excellent foundation plants. But planting them alone wastes their potential.

Companion planting offers multiple benefits:

• Extends floral display from spring through fall
• Provides vertical contrast to low heucheras
• Adds striking textures for visual interest
• Attracts more pollinators
• Maximizes space in smaller gardens

Combining heucheras with plants sharing their cultural needs also streamlines care and maintenance.

Best Perennials to Plant with Heuchera

Many perennials thrive in the same conditions as coral bells Here are some of the best:

Astilbe

The feathery plumes of astilbe stand above heuchera’s low mounds, creating vertical contrast. Astilbe’s soft colors complement both bright and subtle heuchera varieties. Both plants thrive in moist, organic soil.

Japanese Painted Fern

The bright silver fronds of painted fern echo heuchera’s colorful drama. Their lacy textures pair beautifully. Underplant painted ferns and heucheras together in shady borders.

Hosta

Hostas are a classic heuchera companion. Their bold leaves combine with heucheras for high color impact. Plant them in drifts together along shaded pathways or incorporate hosta varieties as specimens.

Lungwort

Lungwort’s clusters of blue flowers bloom as heucheras emerge in spring. Their silver-spotted leaves continue providing contrast after blooms fade. Lungwort thrives in organic, humus-rich soil like coral bells.

Goatsbeard

Goatsbeard has huge, fluffy white plumes reaching 3-6 feet tall. This provides great vertical contrast next to low heucheras. The similar soil needs make them ideal partners.

Foamflower

With leaves resembling heuchera, foamflower offers similar texture. But in spring, foamflower sends up white flower spikes for contrast. Plant en masse or in drifts in shaded beds.

Best Shrubs to Pair with Coral Bells

Try underplanting these shrubs with heucheras:

Azalea

The vibrant flowers and glossy leaves of evergreen azaleas make them ideal heuchera partners. Plant coral bells at azaleas’ feet to enrich spring displays with foilage contrast.

Rhododendron

Large rhododendron blooms need heucheras’ colorful leaves as support players. Plant coral bells as an understory filler around rhodies. They’ll also brighten once flowers fade.

Hydrangea

Hydrangeas offer gorgeous blooms complemented by heucheras’ permanent foliage. Plant in groupings under the dappled shade of hydrangeas. Both plants thrive in rich soil.

Mountain Laurel

The compact size, glossy leaves, and showy flower clusters of mountain laurel mirror heucheras’ attributes. Plant coral bells beneath mountain laurels to fill in bare ground.

Best Annuals & Perennials for Heuchera Containers

Use these annuals and perennials to make mixed heuchera containers pop:

• Begonias – Combine colorful Rex varieties with heucheras for stunning foliar displays.
• Caladiums – Their eye-catching leaves mix perfectly with heucheras.
• Coleus – Choose contrasting or matching leaf colors for dramatic combos.
• Impatiens – Low-growing impatiens supply seasonal blooms and foliage.
• Sweet Potato Vine – Spilling over pot edges, its trailing vines showcase heucheras.

Design Tips for Combining Plants with Heuchera

Follow these guidelines to design stellar heuchera combinations:

• Select companion plants with similar cultural needs, such as shade tolerance and moisture requirements. This ensures both thrive.
• Use foliage color and texture contrasts to create interest. For example, pair fine-textured ferns with heucheras’ round leaves.
• Incorporate plants with vertical height differences. Tall bloomers like astilbe rise above low heucheras.
• Limit companion plants to 2-3 varieties to avoid a chaotic look.
• Mimic natural patterns by planting in odd-numbered groups and asymmetric drifts rather than rigid rows.
• Consider bloom times and sequence colors from spring through fall.

Caring for Heucheras Planted with Companions

Growing heuchera with companion plants is easy with proper care:

• Provide evenly moist, humus-rich soil. Heucheras dislike wet feet or dry spells.
• Situate in full to partial shade. Most avoid hot afternoon sun.
• Apply an organic mulch like pine needles to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
• Remove faded heuchera flower spikes to encourage more foliage growth.
• Cut back overgrown companions like astilbe by 1/3 in summer to restrict spread.
• Divide congested plants in spring every 3-4 years. Replant divisions 18 inches apart.

Unique Ways to Use Heuchera Companion Plants

With their diversity, heuchera companion plants invite creativity:

• Edge a shady path with a flowing heuchera and fern combination.
• Fill spaces under rhododendrons and azaleas with coral bells for color.
• Feature heucheras and shade perennials like hostas in low maintenance island beds.
• Plant a heuchera and begonia container to adorn a shady patio.
• Create woodland inspired centerpiece arrangements using heuchera foliage and astilbe plumes.
• Set accent pots with heucheras and impatiens at the base of Japanese maples.

Best Companion Plants for Different Heuchera Types

Certain companions pair best with specific heuchera varieties:

• Bright red coral bells – Goatsbeard, painted ferns
• Peach or sunset heucheras – Astilbe, caladiums
• Silver-leaf heucheras – Hostas, azaleas, rhododendrons
• Ruffled, purple-black heucheras – Boxwoods, lungwort
• Chartreuse heucheras – Complementary coleus

Troubleshooting Heuchera Companion Pairings

If your heuchera combinations underperform, check for these issues:

• Poor flowering – Increase sun exposure. Heucheras need some sunlight.
• Leggy growth – Plants compete for light. Increase space between.
• Wilting – Improve drainage and avoid overwatering.
• Few blooms – Soil lacks nutrients. Apply organic fertilizer.
• Loss of leaf color – Too much sun burns foliage. Provide afternoon shade.
• Poor vigor – Divide and replant overmature plants.

Achieve Success with Heuchera Companion Planting

By following the tips in this article, you can create showstopping heuchera combinations. Pairing coral bells with plants sharing their preferences results in low maintenance displays.

Experiment with contrasting foliage colors and textures. Include early bloomers like lungwort and mid-summer bloomers like astilbe to maximize floral interest. The creative possibilities pairing heucheras with companion plants are endless for stunning shade gardens!