Palace Purple Coral Bells
Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple'
flowerPalace Purple is the coral bells that made colorful foliage a garden staple and was named Perennial Plant of the Year in 1991. It forms a tidy clump, about a foot tall, of maple- or ivy-shaped leaves in deep bronze-purple above and beet-red beneath, holding good color all season. In early summer it lifts airy, wiry stems of tiny creamy-white flowers to fifteen or twenty inches, which the hummingbirds visit. Grown mainly for its handsome evergreen-ish foliage, it is superb at the front of a shady border, edging a path, or filling containers, and it combines beautifully with hostas and ferns.
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Sun
partial shade
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Water
Every 6 days
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Bloom
~50 days
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Difficulty
easy
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Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
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Spacing
12-18 in. apart
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Planting Depth
Set the crown right at the soil surface (do not bury it)
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Soil pH
6.0-7.0
Growing Details
Soil Type
Rich, moist, well-draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3 – 8
When to Fertilize
Light feeding in spring
Fertilizer
Balanced fertilizer or compost
🌱 Growing Guide
Grow Palace Purple in light to part shade in rich, moist, well-drained soil; in hot-summer regions it especially wants afternoon shade, while in cooler areas it takes more sun as long as the soil stays moist (more sun deepens the leaf color, but dry soil in full sun scorches it). It is hardy in zones 3 to 8. Heucheras have shallow roots and tend to heave themselves up out of the ground over a few winters, so mulch them and replant or divide every three to four years, resetting the crown at the soil line. Remove tired flower stems after bloom, and shear away any winter-burned leaves in spring.
🌼 Have a different variety?Cultivars of the same species usually share the same basic care — they differ mainly in flower color, height, and bloom form, not in how you grow them. So this guide still applies even if your exact variety isn't the one shown.
Planting Calendar
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Direct sow
Apr 15
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Projected first bloom
Jun 4
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
✅ Plant alongside
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
- Patriot Hosta — The white-edged hosta and the purple coral bells are a classic shade contrast in the same moist soil
- Eastern Red Columbine — A native woodlander that shares the light shade and adds nodding spring flowers above the foliage mound
- Astilbe — Feathery plumes that rise behind the low coral bells in the same part-shade bed
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Their grubs chew roots and notch leaf edges - keep plants healthy, and replant or divide periodically; rarely fatal
Causes dark blotches between leaf veins - avoid overhead watering and remove affected leaves
Give airflow and avoid wetting the foliage in humid spells; remove any affected leaves
🌸 Blooms & cutting
Coral bells are grown for foliage, but both the colorful leaves and the airy flower sprays are lovely in arrangements - cut a few stems of the wiry white flowers, or some richly colored leaves, in the cool morning to add delicate texture to a bouquet. Deadhead the spent flower stems at the base after bloom to keep the plant tidy. The biggest maintenance is simply resetting plants that have heaved up out of the soil over winter.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
An ornamental foliage perennial that is also pollinator-friendly - the airy early-summer flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds and bees, while the colorful leaves carry the display the rest of the year. Non-toxic and safe around pets and children.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.