Rock Geranium, American alumroot, Alumroot, Coral Bells, Rock Geranium
Heuchera americana
Family: Saxifragaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Red. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Late spring. Form: Upright or erect.
Heuchera americana is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 0.3 m (1ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.5
Where it is found
Loamy woods and shady calcareous slopes and rocks.
Eastern N. America - Southern Ontario to Connecticut and Michigan, south to Oklahoma and Georgia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 3
The root is very astringent and has been used in the treatment of cancer and also as an external remedy in sores, wounds, vaginal discharges and ulcers. It can be dried, ground into a powder and sprinkled onto wounds etc. It is taken internally in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery and gastric ulcers. It should be used with some caution since excess irritates the stomach and can cause kidney and liver failure. The root is harvested in the autumn and is dried for use in decoctions or as a powder.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Vulnerary: Promotes the healing of wounds.
Other
Rating: 2
The root can be used as an alum substitute, this is a mordant that is used in fixing dyes. The root is rich in tannin and it has been suggested that this is the mordant. A good ground cover plant for the woodland garden. Plants should be spaced about 35cm apart each way.
Mordant: Used for making a dye more permanent, it also affects the colour of the dye.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Foundation, Specimen. Succeeds in any good sweet garden soil that does not dry out in spring. Prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade. Prefers a well-drained fairly rich and not too heavy soil. A polymorphic species, it is apt to hybridize with other members of this genus. Special Features:Attractive foliage, North American native, Suitable for cut flowers. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. An evergreen. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is rhizomatous with underground stems sending roots and shoots along their length.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination is usually fairly rapid. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. The seed can also be sown in the middle of spring in an outdoor seedbed and planted out in early summer. Alternatively, you can sow the seed in an outdoor seedbed in the middle of summer for planting out in the following spring. Division in March or October. It is best to divide the plants in August or early September, making sure that the woody roots are planted quite deeply with only the crown of foliage above the ground.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist