Heuchera villosa FYRE WING™ 'Rhodonite'
Overview
Uses: Bed and path edging, shade and woodland plantings, mixed containers, foliage contrast in mixed borders, specimen use in small spaces.
Benefits: A shifting blend of rose, violet, purple and copper on the finest-cut foliage in the Fyre Wing series. The leaf veining stays visible against the color, so the plant holds detail at close range in a way solid-colored heuchera do not.
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: Pink and purple, shifting toward copper as the season turns
Mature Height: 8 in. in leaf, 12 in. in flower
Mature Width: 12 in.
Bloom Season: Late spring into early summer
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
If 'Hematite' is the bold one in the Fyre Wing series, 'Rhodonite' is the subtle one — and arguably the more interesting plant to live with.
The foliage is the most finely divided in the series, deeply cut and delicately serrated, and it carries an unusual shifting combination of rose, violet, purple and copper rather than a single flat color. Cool spring weather brings the rose and violet forward; summer heat and autumn cooling push it toward copper and steel. The veins stay visibly darker than the leaf surface throughout, which keeps detail in the plant when you look at it up close.
Habit is a dense low mound, and like the rest of the series the leaves are covered in fine hairs that catch frost and bead water. Slender white flower stems appear in late spring and are a modest feature next to the foliage.
It works hardest where you can actually see it — a path edge, a container at eye level, the front of a shaded entry bed. Against green, blue-green, or near-black foliage the color separation is striking.
Care
Fyre Wing Rhodonite Coral Bells Care
Full sun to partial shade. Four to six hours of direct light with protection from harsh afternoon sun gives the truest color; deeper shade mutes the rose tones toward green.
Rich, well-drained soil suits it best, though heuchera tolerates clay and rocky ground better than most perennials. Amend heavy soil or use a raised bed, and set the crown level with the soil surface rather than burying it.
Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy. Established plants handle moderate dry spells. Standing winter moisture around the crown is the main cause of loss, well ahead of cold.
Work compost around the base in spring, or apply a balanced slow release fertilizer. Container plants appreciate a supplemental liquid feed during active growth.
Remove weather-damaged leaves in early spring before new growth pushes, and cut spent flower stems at the base. Leave the foliage in place through winter to shelter the crown. Divide every three or four years if the crown lifts above the soil line.
Container growing: an excellent pot subject, particularly where the shifting foliage color can be seen closely. Provide real drainage, and in colder zones shelter or insulate the pot 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 Rhodonite Coral Bells for Sale Online?
Our Fyre Wing Rhodonite 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 Rhodonite Coral Bells Grow?
Expect a mature height of about 8 in. in leaf, 12 in. in flower and a spread of roughly 12 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. Coral bells have always had rounded, lobed leaves; Fyre Wing has deeply divided, finely serrated ones closer to a laceleaf Japanese maple. It began as a single chance mutation and took roughly five years of breeding to stabilize into a reliable plant.
Why does the color keep changing?
That is the intended behavior, not a problem. Temperature drives pigment expression in heuchera. Cool spring and fall weather brings out the rose and violet; summer heat shifts the leaves toward copper and can add a light silvering. The plant is meant to look different across the season.
Is it evergreen?
Semi-evergreen across most of its range. Foliage persists through winter in milder zones and holds only partially in Zones 4 through 6, particularly without snow cover. Leave it standing either way — the old leaves protect the crown.
How does it differ from 'Hematite'?
Same series, same size class and hardiness, different character. 'Hematite' is a solid deep cordovan red with copper tips; 'Rhodonite' has finer foliage and a shifting rose-to-copper coloration with visible veining. They contrast well planted near each other. Both belong with the rest of our Perennials.
