I'm liking the Melting Fire best of what I have. Really holds up best in my full sun location. You might try one of those and see how it works. Very easy to find at nurseries and big box stores (they have them in now). Increases well and very burgundy.
Cher

For me, it DOES! Plum Pudding is outstanding in my yard.

Truthfully Heuchera are finicky for me - a few do great, others are acceptable, and a lot of them have slowly petered out on on me or just entirely given up the ghost all of a sudden.

Plum Pudding does well for me, but I prefer Obsidian's deeper richer color, and it's also thriving in my garden.

I love Plum Pudding. I've had it at least 6 yrs. Does great. The biggest problem with any heucheras not surviving, is having poor drainage, they don't like soggy roots. That can happen in Spring when everything thaws and then we get a lot of rain. Make sure they don't have a wet soil, especially in Spring. Btw, mine gets sun from about 8am to 3pm. I'm a nut on the purplish heucheras. Midnight Rose is another good purple one. Has light, small pink spots on it. Doesn't get real big though. But it's a winner.

Kat

Heuchera 'Snow Storm' has been a dud in my garden. I've had it for probably ten years, and it's still no bigger than my fist. I divided it several years ago, and one didn't make it, but I now have two that are as big as my fist, if that.

but, it's not purple-leaved, I just had to comment on how 'unvigorous' it is.

Thanks for all the posts so far. I should say I don't necessarily need a fast grower, just a strong grower.

Stormy Seas Harder to find now, but it takes abuse and is very very long lived.

And although it is ancient, Palace Purple is a survivor

Plum Pudding is more vigorous than others for me, but still declines after a few years. Green Spice looks great with it and is the most vigorous one I have grown. They need high nitrogen fert (I use coffee grounds) and sunshine early in the spring to do well for me. Perhaps some other varieties that I killed before I knew this would do better now that I know what they like.

I have been able to keep a supply of replacements by doing this: early in the growing season, I snap the top off of any large heurchera that has a woody stalk a few inches long. I stick the snapped off part into a small pot with some good potting soil and let them root in my cold frame. The are pretty small at first, but by the next year, they are one-gallon size and ready to plant out. The mother plant survives and sprouts new offshoots and often looks fuller as a result. It sounds drastic, but it works.

Planting it in full sun was probably a big factor in poor performance. They are shade/partial shade plants. Most of mine grow in varying degrees of shade and conditions on the dry side. They do fine with that. The poor performers are the ones that get the most sun.

Jut bought 8 plum pudding... and I intend to plant in FULL SUN! As in 10 hours +

I hope they don't decline on me b/c I sought coral bells out b/c I thought they'd make a great alternative to what i currently have. I hope they are long lasting and vigorous. Can they be divided right our of the pot? I haven/t planted yet and the little 1 gal pots have big plants that seem to have two plants in each pot.

So a few good years then "re-plant" - wish i knew that before...

You never know you could get 5 years and want to replant anyhow!

Its a neverending reiterative process.

Whaas,

I have tried Plum Pudding, and a couple of other heuchera. All have failed in my amended clay soil. But Palace Purple comes back year after year. I think I've had it 10 years. I find its purple, which can be rosy at times, tend towards brown at other times, quite a god send in my part/full shade garden. It looks particularly good next to yellow/chartreuse plants as you can imagine. If you can see it in the photo, it's next to Sweet Kate tradescantia in my shadier bed on the right. Not a great picture. I'm sure I can dig up a better one if you're interested.

MyCityGarden

I re-read a post I did in 2010 about Plum Pudding. I had it then for at least 6 yrs & I still have it. I've had to re-dig it twice. Quite often heucheras will start rising about the ground. Then, just dig them up, divide if you want, and replant in a little deeper hole. Remember they don't like soggy soil, Winter thaws & Spring rains can be hard on them with all the water. Another one I really like is Hollywood. Not a big one, but it repeats with the flowers. Both of these & other ones I have are in full sun & do really well.

my spot is really well drained and pretty dry during both spring and summer... of anythign I'll need to water