Heuchera villosa FYRE WING™ 'Hematite'
Overview
Uses: Bed and path edging, shade and woodland plantings, mixed containers, foliage contrast in mixed borders, specimen use in small spaces.
Benefits: The first lace-leaf coral bells ever released. The leaves are deeply cut and finely serrated, closer to a laceleaf Japanese maple than to any heuchera on the market, and they carry a deep cordovan red with copper at the tips.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9
Sun: Full sun to partial shade
Life Cycle: Hardy Perennial
Growth Habit: Mounding — dense low dome of finely divided leaves
Bloom Color: White
Foliage Color: Red, with copper highlights at the leaf tips
Mature Height: 6 in. in leaf, 10 in. in flower
Mature Width: 11 in.
Bloom Season: Late spring into early summer
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
Heuchera has looked more or less the same for a very long time — rounded, lobed, sometimes ruffled leaves in an ever-expanding range of colors. 'Hematite' does not look like that at all.
It belongs to the Fyre Wing series, the first lace-leaf coral bells released anywhere. The leaves are deeply divided and finely serrated, with a silhouette closer to a laceleaf Japanese maple than to anything in the genus. On 'Hematite' they come in a deep cordovan red, warmed with copper at the tips, on a dense mound roughly 6 inches tall and 11 across.
The origin was accidental. A mutation with slightly palmate leaves turned up in an existing variety about five years before release, and it took that long to breed the trait into something stable and worth growing. Foliage is covered in fine hairs, which catches frost attractively and beads water on the leaf surface.
Fine white flower stems rise to about 10 inches in late spring. They are a secondary feature here — the leaves are the reason to grow it — but they draw bees and hummingbirds and cut well for small arrangements.
Care
Fyre Wing Hematite Coral Bells Care
Full sun to partial shade. It handles more sun than pale-leaved heuchera because the saturated red foliage resists scorch, but four to six hours with protection from hard afternoon sun gives the best color.
Rich, well-drained soil is ideal, though heuchera tolerates clay and rocky ground better than most perennials. If your soil is heavy, amend it or plant in a raised bed. Set the crown at soil level — burying it is a common cause of failure.
Keep soil evenly moist but never soggy. Established plants take moderate dry spells in stride. Winter wet around the crown kills more coral bells than cold does, so avoid low spots and places where snow gets piled.
In spring, work compost around the base or apply a balanced slow release fertilizer. Container plants benefit from a supplemental liquid feed during active growth.
Trim tattered leaves in early spring just before new growth starts, and cut spent flower stems at the base. Do not cut the plant back in fall — the old foliage shields the crown through winter. Lift and divide every three or four years if the crown pushes up out of the soil, replanting at the correct depth.
Container growing: coral bells are excellent in pots. Ensure real drainage, and in colder zones move the pot to a sheltered spot or insulate it so the root ball is not repeatedly frozen and thawed. Plants hardy in the ground may require winter protection when grown in containers in colder zones.
Size
What Size is the Fyre Wing Hematite Coral Bells for Sale Online?
Our Fyre Wing Hematite Coral Bells ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants may arrive with buds or blooms during the active growing season. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Fyre Wing Hematite Coral Bells Grow?
Expect a mature height of about 6 in. in leaf, 10 in. in flower and a spread of roughly 11 in. in the garden. Growth rate is moderate. If you have questions about spacing for your site, please contact us.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
It is sold most often as coral bells, and sometimes as alumroot.
What makes the Fyre Wing series different from other heuchera?
The leaf shape. Every other coral bell has a rounded, lobed leaf; Fyre Wing has a deeply divided, finely serrated one. It is a genuinely new leaf form for the genus, traced back to a single chance mutation and stabilized over about five years of breeding.
Is it evergreen?
Semi-evergreen is the accurate term across most of its range. In milder zones the foliage persists all winter; in Zones 4 through 6, especially without reliable snow cover, it holds partially and looks rough by late winter. Either way, leave it in place until early spring — it protects the crown.
How much sun can it take?
More than most. Deeply pigmented heuchera handle sun better than gold or peach types, and in cooler regions it will grow in full sun given consistent moisture. In hotter areas give it morning sun and afternoon shade. Brown, crispy leaf edges mean too much sun.
Is it deer resistant?
Reliably so. Coral bells sit well toward the resistant end and are seldom seriously damaged, though rabbits will occasionally sample new growth in spring. It pairs well with the rest of our Perennials.
