Palace Purple Heuchera

gardenfanatic2003

13 years ago

2 of these apparently died over the winter. I've had them for 11 or 12 years. Can't imagine what did them in. My other heucheras are fine. Is this common with Palace Purple?

Deanna

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Comments (10)

hostadom
13 years ago
I'm not sure how long they live but my garden has just thawed and my Purple Palace is the best looking plant in the garden. I've had it for several years now. One is in a pot and the other in the ground.
buyorsell888
13 years ago
Heucheras aren't the most long lived perennials.
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Can anyone tell me how they propagate these? I understand that the species can be broken up and basically divided in place, without worries about losing much. My SIL says that when they begin heaving themselves out of the ground, she plucks off a few woody sections, sticks them into the soil, and, viola, new plants. (Sorry if this is a little far off topic.) Can you do the same thing with the new varieties? I really love the species, with those mottled silvery green leaves and dainty red flowers, so that's what I've got, mostly. I also like *all* the red-leaved varieties, but have shied away from the peachy leaved ones because they seem like they'd look out of place in my garden; I've got enough going on with foliage colors and textures without that particular kind of foliage. Oh heck, maybe next year! As for Palace Purple turning brown, it seems to do that most when it's in too much sun, at least in my garden. I still like it quite a bit in the right setting. My favorite clump of it gets back-lit in late afternoon at certain times of year, and absolutely glows.
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You are right linnea! The other day a few stems of my Iberis got snapped off so I am attempting to root them outside. Don't have anything to loose since they were broken off already. Might just get some free plants ;-) It was fairly early in the season (last year) when I took the cutting, so I wasn't sure if it would root by sticking it in the cold ground outside. I dusted my cutting with the hormone and then stuck it in a pot inside and tented it for a week or two. But if your ground is warm enough and no cold spells are expected I think it would be fine. Good luck with your Heuchera propagation! ;-) CMK
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Ci, that is the funniest post all day! I can imagine what a flower bed would look like with that lab....my best friend had her yard destroyed by her two until they really grew old. Something as simple as the way potatos grow here and not there so much, it brings home the difference in growing conditions better than any zone chart ever could. My gosh, I know the sweet potatos take 100 days of hot weather to make the roots. They do that here, some as big a root as a grapefruit. The flesh is rather red and it is highly fibrous. Not inedible, but they aren't the commercially grown food sweet taters. The fingerlings are the ones my dachshund pup is digging for mostly. Now and then she brings one in the house, since it is too hot to sit outdoors if you have a black outfit on. Smart little girl. But they create a very nice living mulch or ground cover.Since they won't make tubers before cold weather up where you live, they would make good companion plants. Could you not pot up one or two this year, and keep them hot until they form a tuber? The tuber is like any other perennial that goes dormant in the winter, to resprout in the spring. It might be left in the soil, I don't know ANYTHING about over wintering in cold country. Then if you took the tuber out of the soil for the winter (like caladium bulbs say), you'd have to keep the root healthy over the winter. Mine go dormant in the ground, then send up shoots in the spring when it warms up. They really look beautiful running solid chartreuse. I bet blue hosta would be great with the ornamentals planted around them. They would not get out of control up there. However, as you can see in this picture taken last October, they do not play well with others. These are the green/purple sweet potato vines. I'll look for the chartreuse ones later.
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I know it's been quite some time since your message was posted, however, I do have Hosta Sum and Substance, if you are looking for it. Mine is ready to be divided, it's come into leaf already, but it should still be alright to divide. Hope that this helps. Happy Gardening! Shelley
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linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
13 years ago
Did they heave? I've always considered Palace Purple to be bullet-proof.
marquest
13 years ago
I agree Heuchera are not a long live perennial. It is one of the reasons I stopped paying a high price for them. I like them very much but I will only buy them is they are under 10.00. It is not worth the high price they try to charge for a short lived plant.

I also agree that I thought Palace Purple was one that would at least live longer than the new fancy short lived plants.
Marie Tulin
13 years ago
I'd be disappointed, but really...12 years for a heuchera is a perfectly respectful life. It's not like daylilies whose rizomes grow down pretty deep in the soil or spreaders that replace themselves year after year (monarda)

You got a good run for your money!
idabean
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
13 years ago
This is one plant that I've never had long-term anywhere - nowhere near 12 years! Have tried them several times in different yards in OH, and my Mom has had no luck with them here in AL. I think think they are just more picky than a lot of other plants, about light, moisture, and everything. If it is not completely happy, it just won't make it. Sounds like your 2 that died had some slight difference at some critical point. Figuring out what it was... well, good luck :+) Were they all equally happy/healthy looking last fall?

Hope this wasn't part of a "formal" or symmetrical display. If not, just bask in the excitement of your 2 "new" spots to play with.
michelle_zone4
13 years ago
Interesting because Purple Palace reseeds quite readily in my garden. I'm usually pulling them.
oakiris
13 years ago
Interesting because Purple Palace reseeds quite readily in my garden. I'm usually pulling them.

I have never had a heuchera reseed so I consider you lucky, Michelle, whereas you are probably tired of pulling up the unwanted seedlings! Perhaps I am deadheading the plants too soon...

Sorry that your Palace Purple heucheras died, Deanna, but it would seem they lived for a relatively long time. I have yet to get any of mine to live that long, but I think that's because they don't particularly like my clay soil.

Holly
pam_whitbyon
13 years ago
I lost one out of every three I planted in zone 5b. Here in zone 6 I haven't lost any yet and they seem bigger but it maybe it was because like Holly, my zone 5 soil had a lot of clay.
punman
12 years ago
I have had some for six years and still going strong. Once in a while one won't make it through the winter but compared to other perennials I rate its longevity at at least average.

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Palace Purple Heuchera

Comments (10)

hostadom

buyorsell888

Related Discussions

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)

marquest

Marie Tulin

Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL

michelle_zone4

oakiris

pam_whitbyon

punman

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