Alumroot
Heuchera americana 'Dale's Strain'
Silver-marbled, dark-veined evergreen leaves, each one different, staying fresh through hard winters. Spring sprays feed bees and hummingbirds.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The best native foliage heuchera. exceptional silver-marbled leaf variation from a wild Pennsylvania population, evergreen through winter, and ecologically superior to hybrid coral bells.
'Dale's Strain' is the foliage Heuchera, grown for the remarkable silver-marbled, dark-veined leaves rather than the delicate flowers, though native bees and hummingbirds use the airy flower sprays in spring as well. Each leaf is different: some heavily pewtered, some with deep chocolate veining, some with a silvery overlay that catches light differently throughout the day. The foliage is evergreen and looks fresh through even a hard winter. Selected by plantsman Dale Hendricks from a Pennsylvania wild population known for exceptional foliage variation, this strain produces the best leaf patterning in the species. Plant it at the front of a shaded border or in large drifts where the collective foliage effect is maximized. It's both an ecological workhorse and a genuinely beautiful foliage plant in its own right, something the non-native coral bells cultivars try to approximate but rarely equal.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown alumroot propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Part sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 1–1.5 ft · 12–18 in wide
- Bloom time
- May–June
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Saxifragaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America. rocky woods, bluffs, and woodland edges from Connecticut to Wisconsin south to Georgia and Oklahoma
Care notes for alumroot.
Plant in partial shade in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil. More shade tolerant than hybrid heucheras and more adaptable to heat and humidity. Divide every three to four years in fall to combat the natural tendency of the crown to heave upward over time. replant divisions deeper. Remove the woody crown stem that develops above ground by dividing and replanting. Very long-lived in the right conditions.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside alumroot.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.