Is Coral Bells deer resistant?
Heuchera americana
About Coral Bells
Shade-tolerant, evergreen in mild winters, and grown almost entirely for foliage colour that runs from lime through caramel to near black. Deer browse it lightly in hard winters and leave it otherwise. The bigger threat is frost heave: heuchera has a shallow woody crown that lifts itself out of the ground over a freeze-thaw winter, exposing the roots to dry out. Check plants in late winter and firm any that have risen, or replant them slightly deeper. Divide every three or four years for the same reason, cutting the woody base back and replanting the rooted pieces. The darkest cultivars hold colour best with a few hours of morning sun. In deep shade they revert toward green.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Fertility
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 12 to 18 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Tolerances and uses
- Drought
- Moderate
- Salt
- Low
- Pollinators
- Moderate
- Evergreen
- Containers
- Attracts birds
What to plant it with
Keep apart from
- Periwinkle
Vinca spreads aggressively and will smother a clumping perennial within two seasons.
Similar to Coral Bells
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- African LilyAgapanthus sp.Zones 8–11, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AsparagusAsparagus officinalisZones 2–9Seldom damaged
- AsterAster sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AstilbeAstilbe x arendsiiZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Baby's BreathGypsophila sp.Zones 3–9, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- BastardsageEriogonum wrightiiZones 5–10Seldom damaged
Where Coral Bells grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusetts
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsin
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesota
- Missourinative
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Florida
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansasnative
- Nebraskanative
- Iowanative
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 27 US states in total.
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Every list Coral Bells belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Coral Bells
- Is Coral Bells deer resistant?
- Coral Bells (Heuchera americana) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Coral Bells grow in?
- Coral Bells is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Coral Bells grow in shade?
- Yes. Coral Bells tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Coral Bells get?
- Mature height is roughly 12–36 in. Growth rate is moderate.
- When does Coral Bells bloom?
- Coral Bells flowers from May–July.