Growing geyhera in the open ground is not difficult at all, you just need to choose the right place for planting the plant. Many varieties grow and reproduce well even in the mountainous regions of North America, so caring for a geyher in our latitudes is very simple, because it can grow even on rocky soil. In addition, its decorativeness and versatility will bring new shades to any landscape design.

Description of geyhera: varieties and varieties

So, what is this miracle - geykhera? An evergreen perennial plant 40-60 cm high. The leaves are medium in size, rounded, sit on long petioles and form a rosette at the root. Heuchera blooms from late May until autumn. The flowers form an inflorescence-panicle about 20 cm long. After flowering, fruit-boxes with seeds are formed.

Heuchera ornamental foliage

Cultivated varieties of geyhera can be conditionally divided into two categories:

  • decorative leafy;
  • decorative flowering.

Geichera is decorative with its foliage: no other plant has such a variety of palettes and textures of leaves. Geuchera flowers noticeably lose to the leaves, but there are varieties that are valued precisely for the inflorescences, they create a magnificent color contrast with the foliage of the plant.

To date, about 400 varieties of geyhera have already been bred, their shades and varieties will satisfy the most refined taste and will find their place in any landscape design.

At the moment, cylindrical, American and blood red varieties are especially popular. Now let's look at these varieties in more detail with a photo.


Planting a plant

Before planting, you need to choose a place and prepare the soil. Heuchera goes well with other perennials and is not aggressive towards them, so it can be safely planted in company with other types of plants or lay a flower bed from different varieties of geyhera.

The plant feels great in any neighborhood

The plant prefers light and nutritious soils where water does not stagnate. Acidic soil does not suit her. Before planting, you need to add coarse river sand or pebbles to the soil. Seedlings should be planted in May at a distance of 20-25 cm and watered regularly, but not waterlogged, otherwise the plant may die. You can plant a geyhera in open ground with seeds, cuttings, or by separating the outlet of an adult bush.

plant care

As for care, in this regard, geyhera is very unpretentious. But there are some conditions, and these are:

  • scattered shadow;
  • deep drainage;
  • permeable soil.

Heuchera, planted in the shade of trees or in partial shade, will retain its decorative effect, since it needs the sun in the morning. Varieties with red leaves should be planted in sunny areas, it is in the sun that they will turn red, but in the shade they will remain green. But many varieties adapt to the sun - the silvery mosaic of their foliage takes on a more saturated color, and the geyhers with purple foliage darken.

In the shade, geyhera leaves will acquire rich shades.

The root system of geyhera is superficial, so it is important to protect the roots from drying out. It is best to apply mulching. Mulch will retain moisture, the soil under it breathes and is structured by soil inhabitants. Straw, sawdust, compost, tree bark, foliage, expanded clay screenings, gravel, peat can be used as mulch.

The soil must be permeable - from stagnant water, the plant can get sick and die. Therefore, you should take care of drainage even when planting a plant.

Aging geyhera bushes lose their decorative effect - the middle of the bush is exposed. In this case, you need to rejuvenate the bush: dig up the plant, divide it into parts and plant it. This should be done at the end of summer after flowering or in spring before the leaves bloom. Heuchera tolerates these manipulations painlessly and immediately starts to grow.

Mulching the soil will help the geyhera maintain moisture balance.

Dried foliage is not removed in winter - it helps the plant to overwinter, covers the roots and retains heat. Remove only inflorescences with seeds - after flowering they spoil the decorative look. In the future, the collected seeds can be used for propagation and cultivation of geyhera in the open field. Varieties with light foliage and young bushes for the winter need to be additionally covered with foliage.

Advice. Water the plants early in the morning or in the evening, drops of water in the sun can scorch the leaves.

Fertilizer and top dressing geyhera

Before human cultivation, geyhera grew in the mountains, where the soil is rather scarce. Modern varieties are still not far from their wild relatives, so they do not complain about a small amount of nutrients in the soil. Mineral fertilizers are rarely used. It is better to limit yourself to one top dressing in the spring in the first year after planting. If you did not do this in the spring, then feed the geyhera with a mineral complex fertilizer for deciduous plants at the end of the growing season. After fertilizing, be sure to water the bushes.

There is no need to regularly feed the plant

Important. When fertilizing, be sure to reduce the dose by half from the manufacturer's recommended on the package.

Plant propagation

Reproduction by dividing the bush is the simplest way in which the decorative effect of the variety is preserved. This is done in early spring or autumn. Separate the outlet from the adult plant and transplant a little deeper than the mother plant was planted.

The second way is cuttings. A cutting 4-6 cm in size is cut from a bush in the summer and rooted in a greenhouse. The process takes 3-4 weeks, after which the finished plant can be planted.

The division of the geyhera bush

Diseases and pests

As for diseases, geyhera is unique in that it practically does not get sick in the open field, and it is rarely affected by pests. But sometimes it can suffer from powdery mildew, rust, gray mold or leaf spot. This can happen if the plant is watered frequently or the soil is poorly drained and water stagnates at the roots, creating an ideal environment for pathogens to thrive. From an excess of fertilizers, the plant "fattens", which leads to a weakening of immunity. Powdery mildew can be defeated by spraying with a fungicide, after removing diseased leaves, and Bordeaux mixture will cope with spotting and rust.

Rust on a geyhera leaf

As for pests, the danger to the plant is the larvae of the May beetle, which can gnaw roots, grape snails, slugs, caterpillars and leaf nematodes, which can be eliminated with an insecticide.

Advice. Slugs hide during the day in secluded places from the sun, so you can put a board, slate, cardboard or a piece of old linoleum near the geyhera, and collect slugs under them in the morning.

Heuchera: combination with other plants

Thanks to the contrasting combination of geyhera leaves with the leaves of other plants, you can create unique compositions. Geyhera is planted with hostas, kupens, ferns, hellebore, daylilies, combined with ornamental cereals, brunera, irises, barberries.

Heuchera will decorate your garden even in autumn, when other plants have faded

Heuchera goes well with tall conifers, acts as an addition to low roses. In the spring it is good to place with tulips: after they bloom, the flower bed is not empty.

Geichera in landscape design

Don't be afraid to experiment with planting Heuchera in your area. Like precious stones, geyhera will decorate any flower garden; no other flower culture has such a rich palette with an abundance of colors and shades.

A huge plus of geyhera is its decorative effect during the entire growing season and ease of care. Heuchera is grown both in single plantings of the same species, and in mixed ones, it is used as a perennial ground cover plant. With a compact shrub shape, geuchera is an ideal companion to combine with other plants. This is a real find for those cases when you need to fill the space in the flower garden or emphasize the dignity of another plant, highlight the planting of coniferous plants.

Geichera in landscape design

Geichera does not lose its decorative shape with age, so it fits perfectly into flower beds of strict geometric shapes, masks unsightly areas. Geichera is suitable for creating alpine slides, rocky gardens, borders, decorating terraces and arbors. She can decorate garden sculptures, slides and fountains. Often used for planting in front flower beds.

In the first year after planting, geyhera will be difficult to appreciate its merits in landscape design - only planted, it will not become such a magnificent beauty, but next season you will be able to enjoy the density of colors.

Heuchera varieties and their cultivation: video

Geichera: photo




Geichera is a perennial plant of the Saxifrage family, native to the highlands of North America. The place of its natural habitat is mountain poor soils, therefore the geykhera does not require special conditions of detention.

The flower will serve as an adornment of any garden due to the wide variety of varieties that differ in leaf color. It is they who give this plant a decorative effect. Geichera grows as a low lush bush no more than 30 cm high, flower stalks can grow up to 90 cm. Flowers of red, white, pink flowers bloom on them. Heuchera is very fond of landscape designers and use it to decorate borders, alpine slides, and artificial reservoirs.

Features of growing geyhera in the garden

It is not difficult to grow a geyhera, it does not impose special requirements on its content. But some rules will have to be observed in order to preserve the beauty of its leaves, which serve as its main decoration. These rules apply to soil, lighting and watering the plant. Geichera winters well in the garden, if she is provided with reliable shelter from frost. It will grow well in almost any soil, as long as it is well drained.

An important feature of geyhera is its ability to get along with almost all garden plants, so you can choose almost any place, based on how you want to decorate this or that corner of the garden.

There are varieties of geyhera that bloom with inconspicuous small flowers that do not decorate the plant at all. Unless there is a need to collect seeds, it is better to remove the flower stalks so that they do not spoil the appearance of the flower bed.

Geichera is planted in the ground with seedlings, it is advisable to use seedlings with a closed root system (in pots) for this. At first, she is provided with abundant watering and shading. When the seedlings get stronger, they can be moved to a permanent place.

Landing methods

There are two ways of planting - seeds and seedlings grown from cuttings or taken from a divided old bush. Moreover, planting geyhera with seeds absolutely does not guarantee the preservation of species qualities, especially decorative ones. Therefore, experienced gardeners prefer to plant seedlings.

Optimal landing time

Usually geyhera is planted in the ground in the spring, when the last frosts have already passed. However, you can do this in the fall, if it is warm and long.

Important! When planting geyhera in the fall, it is imperative to mulch the soil with wood ash or bark; in the spring, the mulch must be removed.

soil for the plant

The soil for geyhera is suitable for any, neutral acidity or even slightly alkaline. The main thing is its water and air permeability. To do this, drainage is poured into the hole to a certain depth before planting. Since in nature geyhera grows on rather poor soils, fertile garden soil will give good growth and splendor to its bush.

Features of care for geykhera

The main features of care are the feeding regimen, the choice of location and illumination, and the need to hill the plant. Hilling is necessary due to the fact that as they grow, the roots of the geyher begin to protrude above the ground and they must be sprinkled.

Important! Heuchera should be spudded in the fall, as part of the preparation of the plant for wintering.

Location and lighting for the plant

For different varieties of geyhera, you need to choose a different place. Most often, a plant needs good illumination, but not bright direct rays of the sun, but an openwork shadow. The best place in the garden will be where the sun is only in the morning or evening. Some varieties from too hot sunlight can not only lose the color of the leaves, but also change their shape, which is also one of the components of the decorative qualities of geyhera.

On the contrary, varieties with red and burgundy leaves are best planted in a place where there is more light, because in the shade their leaves may remain green.

Do not plant geyhera in places where melt or rain water can stagnate, the plant can simply rot.

Air humidity

The humidity in the garden is optimal for plant growth. There is no need to take additional measures to improve it.

How to water correctly

Watering the geyhera too often is not necessary. It is enough to do this once every two days as the soil dries up and only in a dry summer. If the weather is very hot, then watering should be done twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, when the heat subsides.

Important! When watering, avoid getting water on the leaves. They may get burned.

Plant nutrition and fertilizer

In the first year of life, a young plant does not need to be fed at all. You can start fertilizing geykhera in the second year and little by little. This feature of the flower is due precisely to its origin and natural habitat on mountainous rocky poor soils.

Experts say that it is better for a geyher to underfeed than to overfeed. Some recommend fertilizing once a season, others twice, before and after flowering.

For top dressing, it is better to use mineral fertilizers, and their concentration should be half that for other plants.

Pruning is necessary for the plant, but not the leaves, but the peduncles.

Trimming methods

In some varieties of geyhera, flowering can spoil the beautiful appearance of the flower bed. Due to the long peduncles and inconspicuous flowers, it takes on an untidy appearance. Therefore, it is better to cut them off as soon as they appear. If you let the geuchera bloom, then you must definitely remove the flowers along with the long stems.

Geyhere leaves are cut only in spring and only those that have dried up and died.

Important! In the spring, you can cut off old leaves only after new shoots begin to grow.

Pruning for the winter

In no case should you cut the geyhera in the fall, before preparing it for wintering. Old leaves will serve the plant in good stead - they will save its root system from freezing.

Heuchera transplant in spring (autumn)

An annual geyhera transplant is not needed, it is carried out only for the purpose of rejuvenating the plant. After 4-5 years, the flower loses its decorative qualities, and the bush itself falls apart. That's when he needs a transplant. Transplantation can be done both in early spring and autumn.

Transplant methods

The bush is divided into several parts and planted separately from each other. Before planting, you need to carefully inspect the roots and remove rotten or diseased ones. Sprinkle slices with ash.

The distance between seedlings should be at least 20-25 cm. Planting is carried out in a hole up to 30 centimeters deep with good drainage and loose soil.

Geichera is propagated in several ways. Since geuchera does not live very long, its reproduction is a way to rejuvenate and preserve a very beautiful ornamental shrub in the garden.

Reproduction methods

Propagation of geyhera by cuttings

For cuttings, lateral processes are taken from geyhera. This should be done after the end of flowering. The cuttings are cut along with a fragment of the outlet. If the shoot is long, it can be cut into short (3-4 cm) parts and the lower sections can be treated with a root stimulator. It is not necessary to dig a plant for this, unless it is transplanted at the same time. When dividing the bush, you can also separate the cuttings for propagation. Sections must be treated with ash.

The cuttings are planted in prepared holes in loose peat soil and covered with a film, creating greenhouse conditions. The greenhouse should not be too hot. Rooting occurs within about a month.

Important! If the cuttings take root closer to autumn, then it is not recommended to plant them in open ground, it is better to leave them to winter in the cuttings, covering them well with foliage, moss or spruce branches.

Propagation of geyhera seeds

When purchasing seeds for planting, it must be borne in mind that they are able to sprout only within six months after ripening. It is best to plant seeds in early spring.

Before planting, they must be mixed with wet sand. The soil must be loose. The seeds are not buried, but are put on top of the ground and covered with a film. Seedlings need good lighting and constant soil moisture, but without overflow. The first shoots appear in two weeks.

After the appearance of the first leaves, the seedlings are seated in separate pots. These pots can be dug into the ground in the spring at the place where a permanent place for geyhera is planned. By autumn, they will have their first leaf rosette.

leaf reproduction

Reproduction of geyhera by a leaf is possible, but experts practically do not describe it in the literature, and most likely it is not practiced.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

This is the most common breeding method for geyhera. After three to four years of life, the plant must be transplanted. For this, the bush of the old mother specimen is divided into several parts, seated and several new young plants are obtained.

Heuchera is dug out of the garden, the roots are carefully examined, cleaned of rot. The rhizome is divided into several parts so that each of them has 2-3 rosettes, the stem is cut to a new tissue. Sections on the roots are treated with root.

When preparing a seat, the hole can be filled with compost, coarse sand or pebbles can be poured as drainage. The place where young new bushes will be grown should be well lit, but the light should be diffused. You can cover the seedlings with a wooden box made of slats so that there is a light shade and good ventilation.

Rooting occurs in one and a half to two months. Then the seedlings can be moved to their permanent place.

Geichera blooms with small flowers, which are of no decorative value, with the exception of some varieties.

When the plant blooms (flowering period), flower shape

It begins to bloom in early summer and ends by early August. Very small flowers of pale nondescript shades are collected in inflorescences in the form of a panicle, crowning a long peduncle. The exception is the blood-red geyhera, whose flowers are very beautiful.

Problems, diseases and pests in a flower

Geichera, living in nature in rather harsh conditions, is quite resistant to pests and diseases. During too rainy summers, it can be affected by powdery mildew, which is easily removed with fungicides.

The leaves and rhizomes of the plant can be harmed by weevils (they eat thin roots) and slugs that gnaw holes in the leaves. To avoid such problems, you need to sprinkle the ground around the geyhera with sawdust moistened with creolin, or sprinkle the soil with lime, which will scare away slugs. Mustard water will also be effective against the weevil, which must be sprayed on the bush (1 tablespoon of mustard powder per 1 liter of water).

Popular species (varieties)

Heuchera blood red

It was from her that the main garden varieties of geyhera came. Its bright red flowers serve as an additional decoration of the plant. She has denser pubescent leaves than other varieties and beautiful bright red or pink small flowers resembling a bell shape.

Heuchera american

A small bush about 20 cm tall is distinguished by a heart-shaped leaf and beautiful veins on them. Most popular garden variety "Green Spice" with silver veins on a green background. Flowers are not ornamental, they must be removed when peduncles appear (if you do not need to get her seeds).

Heuchera shaking

Specially bred hybrid with the most diverse leaf color.

Geichera small-flowered

One of the most beautiful types of geyher, which has several garden varieties. It differs in the shape of a summer leaf resembling a maple leaf. The variety enjoys the greatest love of gardeners 'Purple Palace' with vibrant purple leaves.

There are no difficulties in growing geyhera, but here are some tips to help you grow healthy, beautiful flowers that will decorate the garden for a long time.

  • Plant geyher in places where moisture will not stagnate. It is better if these are small mounds. This is especially true of blood-red geyhera, it is most vulnerable in conditions of high soil moisture.
  • If you mulch the soil around the geyher with peat in the spring, during the summer you will not have to constantly fight weeds and often loosen the soil.
  • When growing geyhera in a greenhouse, a light hygroscopic material can be laid in an arc. It will absorb excess moisture.
  • After sowing, seedlings should be watered very carefully - only along the walls of the container.
  • Before sowing seeds, it is better to ignite the soil or spill it with boiling water. Seeds can only be sown in dry soil.

plant life span

After three to five years, the plant loses its qualities, the bush falls apart and the geyher needs to be dug up. The old bush is divided into several parts and seated. They produce young plants. So geyhera has a long renewable life cycle.

Why does geyhera grow poorly?

The reason may be too fertile soil or an excess of fertilizer, due to which a large bush grows by autumn and too many buds are laid. During the winter, the root system weakens and cannot “feed” such a number of new shoots.

Perhaps some conditions of detention do not meet the requirements (humidity, windy place in the garden, too dark or, on the contrary, too bright place in the garden).

Flower care in winter

In winter, the flower does not require care, but in the fall you need to take care of it. Pruning is strictly prohibited, the bush is well covered with foliage or spruce branches. Be sure to mulch the soil with compost or rotted tree bark. You can add wood ash. The mulch is removed in the spring.

Heuchera (heuchera)- a genus of rhizomatous herbaceous perennials of the Saxifrage family, cultivated species and varieties of which are extremely in demand today in landscape design.

Heuchera got its name in honor of Johann Heinrich von Geicher, a German botanist and physician. Heuchera hails from the rocky regions of North America and is a compact shrub up to half a meter tall, eye-catching with its luxurious, exquisite leaves. Geichera is a gourmet plant, because during one growing season it can change the color of the leaves, and more than once. No other culture is distinguished by such a palette of shades and so many options for their combinations as geyhera, and especially its modern variegated varieties.

Geuchera flower - description

A dense bush of geyhera is formed by leathery serrated leaves on long cuttings. The shape and color of the leaves is amazing in variety: almost black, bright red, maroon, amber, pink, purple, yellow, green and even silver leaves in all sorts of patterns and veins, specks and spots. The texture of the leaves are smooth, corrugated and curly. Geyhera blooms all summer, and even until frost with small pink, white, cream or red bells collected in panicles. The geyhera fruit is a box in which seeds the size of a poppy seed ripen (about 20,000 seeds fit in 1 gram). Geichera has been used in landscape design for a long time. Designers divide geyhera varieties into two categories: decorative leafy, whose ancestor was American geyhera, and decorative flowering, such as red geyhera, or blood red.

Features of growing geyhera

There are no obvious features or difficulties in growing geyhera, but this plant has characteristic features that it will not hurt you to know. So:

  • - in decorative leafy varieties of geyhera, if you do not have a goal to collect seeds in the fall, it is better to remove the peduncle as soon as it appears: they grow much higher than the bush and have an untidy appearance, which damages the decorative qualities of the plant;
  • - flower stalks in decorative-flowering varieties are removed immediately after the geyhera fades;
  • - over time, the lower leaves on the bush fall off, and the geyhera looks untidy. It is necessary to dig up the plant before flowering and transplant it, together with an earthen clod, into a deeper hole to hide the bald stem;
  • - at the beginning of growth, young leaves of geyhera are bright and translucent, like flower petals, but as they grow older, they thicken and darken;
  • - Heuchera goes well with primroses, daylilies, astilba, bergenia and ornamental cereals.

Landing geyhera

When to plant geyhera.

Planted geyhera in March or April. Heuchera has good shade tolerance, so the best place for it is in the penumbra of other plants, where diffused light will fall on it. The best option is the east or west side, where direct sunlight falls only in the morning or evening. If this is not possible, and you have to plant it in the sun, then you need to provide regular and more abundant watering to the geyher. By the way, varieties with brightly colored leaves in an open sunny area become even brighter and more spectacular. And varieties with red leaves should grow in the sun, otherwise their leaves will remain green in the shade.

In the choice of soil, geyhera is not picky, it can grow on any soil, except for acidic soil, the optimal pH is 5-6. Even a rocky area does not frighten the plant, because in nature, in its homeland, it covers the rocky shores of the Great Lakes. But the more fertile and looser the soil, the more attractive and magnificent the geyher. Of great importance is the moisture capacity and, at the same time, good drainage of the soil on the site. Stagnation of water in the roots of geyhera does not tolerate.

How to plant a geyhera.

There are two ways of planting - seeds and seedlings. Geyhera seeds are simply sown in loose prepared soil and covered. But we remind you that seed propagation is not the best way, since it does not preserve the species and varietal characteristics of the mother plant, and at best you will grow a simple geyhera with green leaves.

The seedling method is more reliable. Seedlings are grown in a greenhouse container, and then planted in open ground to a depth of 3-4 cm at a distance of 20 cm from each other. The soil must be loose so that air can freely penetrate the roots. And geykhera from seeds in the open field, and seedlings germinate in a month and a half.

Geichera - care

How to care for geyhera.

Growing geyhera is not difficult, and caring for geyhera will not tire you. By and large, she does not need any care. In the first year of vegetation, in the year of planting, the plant does not need to be fed; in subsequent years, decorative-flowering varieties of geyhera need to be fed with universal fertilizer for flowering plants, and decorative-deciduous - with complex fertilizers for deciduous plants, respectively. Feeding time - before and after flowering, and the dose should be halved compared to that recommended on the package.

Watering the geyher should be regular, as the soil dries out - once every two days, and it is better to forget to water the geyher than to do it twice - excess moisture harms it. But on hot dry days, you will have to water the geyhera twice a day - early in the morning and in the evening. You need to pour water under the bush, carefully so that the spray does not fall on the leaves, which can become stained with burns from this.

If you do not want to have trouble with weeds and loosening the soil after watering, mulch the planting of geyhera with peat in the spring.

Heuchera breeding.

When the plant is 3-4 years old, its outlet may fall apart and you will see a bare middle. This means that the time has come to divide the bush and plant its parts, thereby rejuvenating the geyhera. The best time for this breeding method is May or early autumn. The bush is divided in such a way that there are 2-3 outlets in each division. Roots that are too long should be shortened, and those on which signs of decay are found should be cleaned of rot and powdered with charcoal powder. Parts of the divided bush are planted in holes measuring 30x30 a little deeper than the mother plant was planted, at a distance of 25 cm from each other. After planting, it is desirable to water the site and mulch. Parts of the bush take root within a month. This method of propagation of geyhera is called dividing the bush.

Heuchera also propagates in another vegetative way - cuttings. Heuchera cuttings are carried out in June or July: cuttings are cut from the mother bush as close as possible to the soil surface, but without fragments of the rhizome, divided into pieces of 4-6 cm, the lower sections are powdered with a root former, partially freed from leaves and rooted in a mixture of peat and sand in makeshift greenhouses located in partial shade. Do not forget to ventilate the cuttings and moisten the soil in containers. Rooting occurs in 3-4 weeks.

Pests and diseases of geyhera.

Geyhers get sick very rarely, and they are not afraid of pests, but sometimes they still suffer from powdery mildew, rust, gray rot and spotting. The cause of these ailments is an excess of fertilizers or stagnation of water in the roots of plants. From powdery mildew, which covers the leaves with a whitish coating, geyhera will be relieved by fungicide treatment. And spotting and rust can be defeated by spraying geyhera twice a month with a solution of Bordeaux liquid.

Of the pests, snails, slugs, weevils, caterpillars and leaf nematodes are dangerous for geyhera, which can be eliminated with special insecticides.

Heuchera after flowering

Flowering of geyhera begins, as a rule, in early summer and lasts two months, and sometimes longer. When the geyhers in the garden fade, they will not require special care from you. Cut off flower stalks with wilted flowers if you don't intend to wait for the Heuchera seeds to ripen.

Preparing geyhera for winter

Geichera winters in the garden. In no case do not cut wilted and yellowed leaves of geyhera in the fall: they help the plant to keep the roots warm in winter. Heuchera for the winter requires shelter, and it is better if you use oak leaves in this capacity. When spring arrives, remove the cover and carefully trim last year's geyhera leaves with pruning shears as close to the soil surface as possible.

Types and varieties of geyhera

The genus geyhera has about 70 species. Many of them grow naturally in the forests and woodlands of the mountainous regions of Mexico and the United States. Conventionally, the types of geyhera are divided into mountain and forest. We will introduce you to the most popular species and varieties among gardeners, which are used in landscape design and for breeding new varieties.

Heuchera blood red

belongs to the mountains. It has green leaves and bright red flowers. Americans call it the red bell. The leaves of blood red geyhera, forming a rosette, are much denser than other species, they are round and serrated. Some varieties of this species are distinguished by beautiful white or cream specks on the leaves. Peduncles reach a height of 50cm. This species is cold-resistant, which is why it is so popular with our gardeners. The most famous varieties are "Monet", "Variegata", "Hercules".

Heuchera hairy

It is distinguished by large leaves with a velvety surface and pubescent peduncles and cuttings, which is why it got its name. The Bronze Wave variety has the largest leaves up to 20 cm in diameter of a bronze color, and Rachel has not only flowers, but also pale pink peduncles.

Heuchera cylindrical

- also a mountain view, it has not only spectacular leaves, but also tall peduncles with a cloud of small flowers that seem to hover above the bush during flowering. This species is larger than the others, and this attracted breeders who, on the basis of cylindrical geyhera, developed new varieties. Peduncles reach a height of 90 cm, they bloom large flowers of white, pink, green and coral color on short pedicels. The leaves are heart-shaped, rounded, green in color with a silvery pattern or veins in a contrasting color. Varieties: "Greenfinch" with greenish-cream flowers, "Hyperion" - a compact bush with a peduncle height of only 50 cm and red-pink flowers.

Geichera small-flowered

- according to many flower growers, this is the most spectacular of the geyher. Its leaf, shaped like a maple, is covered with silvery spots, and some specimens found in nature are distinguished by a purple tint of leaves. Paniculate inflorescence on a peduncle 60 cm high consists of small creamy pink flowers with orange anthers. Of the popular cultivars, the best known are 'Palace Purple' with dark purple leaves, which is the best perennial plant of 1999, and 'Bressingham Bronze' with bronze-brown leaves.

Heuchera american,

growing on the shores of the Great Lakes. In the USA it is called "mountain geranium". Attracts with its leaves, forming a rosette about 20 cm high. On the underside, the leaves are brown-lilac, heart-shaped, rounded, petioles are long. Panicles on peduncles 50-60 cm tall consist of yellow-green flowers. "Green Spice" is one of the most beautiful varieties of American Heuchera with green leaves and contrasting silvery spots on them. During the growing season, the leaves change shades of green from more yellow to darker, the silver spots increase, and a purple hue appears around the veins.

Heuchera hybrid

- it includes interspecific hybrids of American geyhera and blood-red with the participation of small-flowered geyhera. The flowers of this species resemble blood-red geyhera flowers, but they are somewhat larger, as are the leaves with peduncles. White, coral, red or pink flowers bloom for more than two months. The color of the leaves is mostly green, but with contrasting veins and cream specks. The only drawback of these hybrids is that flower stalks can fall from strong wind and rain. Varieties: "Cancan", "Cappuccino", "Beauty Color", "Ruby Vale" and others.

Geuchera gooseberry

- this plant is so cold-resistant that even after wintering in the garden in severe frost it can completely retain its leaves, and it is this rare quality that attracts both flower growers and breeders in it.

Heuchera flowers are quite popular among gardeners and are widely used in landscape design. This herbaceous perennial came to us from North America, and it was named after the German botanist Johann Heinrich von Geicher. This culture is in demand by gardeners, first of all, for its decorative functions. The leaves of the plant have the ability to change their color several times during the growing season, which allows the use of geyhera in a wide variety of flower arrangements.

Geichera: varieties and photos

Among the cultivated species of geyhera, there is a huge variety of varieties. Below we will consider the options most often grown in the gardens of our country:

  1. Heuchera American reaches a height of about 15-20 cm, has rounded leaves, the edges of the leaves are slightly serrated. The foliage is purple below, and beautiful contrasting veins show through on the upper green side. Geuchera flowers are inconspicuous, the peduncle grows up to 60 cm in height and is covered with small panicle-shaped inflorescences. Almost all varieties of American geyhera change leaf color depending on the season. The plant has the brightest shade in the autumn and spring months.

  2. Heuchera hairy has large fleecy leaves, the diameter of which can reach 20 cm. Petioles and flower stalks of the culture are also covered with villi. The color of the plants may vary depending on the particular variety.

  3. The leaves of small-flowered geyhera are shaped like maple leaves. Their openwork edges are most pronounced in summer, and by winter the lobes on the foliage practically disappear. The most popular variety of this culture is purple geyhera, which has a beautiful rich shade of leaves. There are species whose foliage has silver blotches. The stems of the plant are covered with small light beige flowers.

  4. Heuchera cylindrical produces long peduncles, reaching a height of 60 to 90 cm. The flowers of the plant are greenish-white, inconspicuous. The rosette of leaves is small, compact, the foliage has rounded teeth, painted in a green tint with bright veins. Depending on the variety, the color of the leaves and flowers may vary.

  5. Heuchera red is one of the most spectacular types of plants. The culture has rather dense leaves of rich pink, raspberry or red hues. The foliage has jagged edges and may change color during the growing season.

  6. Heuchera hybrid is similar to the previous variety of culture, but differs in larger leaves and flowers, as well as the height of the peduncle. Heuchera hybrid blooms profusely and long enough, about 2 months. Inflorescences are painted in white, red or pink shades. The foliage looks very impressive thanks to the beautiful bright veins that contrast in color with the leaf plate.

  7. Geichera gooseberry has small leaves, reaching a diameter of 7 cm and having 3 or 5 lobes. The height of the bush is about 15 cm, the arrow of the peduncle grows up to 60-65 cm. The flowers are large, painted white, reaching 5 mm in diameter.

The subtleties of growing geyhera

Before growing geyhera, you should know some features of this plant:

  1. If you are not going to propagate a decorative foliage crop with seeds, but are struggling to preserve the picturesque look of geyhera, then it is better to remove the peduncle at its first appearance. The inflorescences of these species are not very beautiful, but their stems grow much higher than the rosette of leaves and spoil the appearance of the flower bed.
  2. As for decorative-flowering varieties, their flower stalks can be cut off after the buds wither.
  3. In adult bushes, the lower leaves may crumble over time, and therefore, geykhera loses its decorative effect. In such a case, you need to dig up the plant before it begins to bloom, and then transplant it into another hole. We will talk about this method of transplantation below.
  4. Heuchera change their appearance during the entire period of development. In the youngest seedlings, the foliage is very delicate, translucent, has a bright shade. Over time, the leaves become denser and acquire a darker and more saturated color.
  5. In a flower arrangement, this culture can be planted next to astilba, primrose, daylily, bergenia or ornamental cereals.

Geichera - planting and care

Time and place for planting crops

The ideal time for planting this plant in the ground is the first half of spring - March and April. The culture feels great in shaded areas, so it is best to have a flower bed on the east or west side of the house, under a spreading tree or in another similar place. If your backyard does not have a sufficiently shaded area, you can plant a geyhera in the sun and provide it with regular abundant watering. It is worth noting that decorative leafy varieties under bright sunlight acquire a more attractive shade of leaves. And for geyhera with pink and red foliage, it is recommended to select a well-lit sunny area.

Soil features for the plant

One of the main conditions for growing geyhera is the right soil. This culture will perfectly take root in fertile light soil with neutral acidity. The ideal pH level for geyhera is 5-6 units. You can increase the alkalinity of the earth by adding chalk or wood ash immediately before planting. Ash, in addition, will be a good fertilizer for your flowers.

Among other things, for growing geyhera it is important to ensure good soil drainage. Water should not be allowed to stagnate at the roots, since excess moisture will provoke the appearance of rot and the plant will die. It is quite simple to make drainage: before planting the geyhera, pour a small amount of expanded clay or brick fragments into the dug hole. In wet weather or excessive watering, the drainage layer will absorb excess liquid, and during a drought period, the roots of the plant will be able to take moisture from the drainage.

If you purchased geyhera seedlings in early spring, when it is still too early to plant them in open ground, transplant the crop into suitable containers and leave it in a room or in a greenhouse for a while. When the threat of spring frost has passed, the geyhera can be moved to a permanent place in open soil. In the event that you bought a plant in a pot, when transplanting, carefully clean the roots from the substrate and trim their tips. If you see that a geyhera has a large number of leaves, but its root system is poorly developed, then remove some of the largest foliage. In this case, the plant will take root well in a new place, and its roots will become stronger. During planting, immerse the roots in the hole so that there is no empty air space between them, and the core of the outlet is not sprinkled with soil.

Heuchera Care

Proper care of this crop involves timely watering with a sufficient amount of liquid. Although geuchera does not like excess moisture, it also does not grow very well in arid soil. Especially negatively poor watering affects the plant during the flowering period. Keep the ground around the bushes moderately moist. When watering, try to make sure that the water soaks the soil to a sufficient depth. Irrigation is best done twice a day, morning and evening. So that moisture is retained in the ground long enough and the roots do not dry out, every fall, mulch the soil around the bushes with foliage, straw, or peat.

It is not necessary to feed a geyhera with fertilizers if it grows in optimal light and receives a sufficient amount of moisture. If you decide to add some nutrients to the soil, then do it in moderation. Geyhera can be fed twice a season: before flowering and after the inflorescences fall off. As fertilizers, it is better to use complex compositions with a low nitrogen content.

Heuchera pests include snails and slugs. These creatures attack the foliage and spoil the young shoots of the crop. The leaves that the slugs have visited become covered with powdery mildew and rot, and then wither and fall off. Excess moisture adversely affects the health of plants. If water stagnates in the soil, the roots rot and the plant dies. In such a case, you can dig up a diseased bush, cut off healthy branches from it and transplant them as cuttings into a greenhouse.

So that the geyhera does not freeze in winter, it is covered with spruce branches or rotted foliage. From above, you can additionally pour a layer of snow or cover the bushes with lutrasil. With the advent of spring, do not rush to remove the covering material, wait for the soil to completely thaw. When it's warm enough outside, unwrap the geyhera and remove the old leaves from it. Pour a little warm water with mineral fertilizers diluted in it under the roots.

Geyher breeding methods

Growing geyhera from seeds

The simplest and easiest way to propagate this crop is to sow seeds. When growing geyhera in this way, you get young bushes with a wonderful appearance. But it should be noted that hybrid varieties, as a rule, with such reproduction can lose their varietal characteristics.

You can purchase seeds from a specialty store or from another grower, but a safer and cheaper way is to store your own seed. Just keep in mind that the seeds retain good germination for about 6 months; after six months, some of the grains may simply not sprout. Store seed in a tightly closed airtight container.

Planting seeds is carried out in early spring, during the month of March. For sowing, you need to pick up fertile soil, disinfect it, then pour it into suitable containers, moisten and loosen it. On top of the soil, you can also pour a small, 3-4 mm thick, layer of fine sand. After planting the seeds in the ground, place the containers in a shady spot and keep the soil moist. The ambient temperature should be kept at around 22-24°C. Under these conditions, geyhera seedlings will appear approximately 3 weeks after sowing the grains. Slightly grown sprouts should be dived into separate containers and left in the greenhouse until the root system is strong enough to transplant flowers into open ground.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

Some varieties of geyher require periodic transplantation, because over time their stems stretch, the lower leaves fall off, and the trunk turns out to be bare. To return the plants to a decorative appearance, every 2-3 years they need to be cut and planted in a new hole. Such anti-aging pruning occurs as follows:

  1. After the plant has faded, you need to cut off the flower stalks from it and remove the bare parts of the stems. You can do a transplant before flowering.
  2. Then you should sprinkle the places of cuts with wood ash and special compounds that stimulate root formation.
  3. The number of leaves must be reduced, and prepared cuttings can be planted in a greenhouse. When digging them into the ground, try to place the center of the outlet above the ground. Sand is the best soil.
  4. Be sure to leave a small hole near the stem in which you will feed.
  5. Seedlings are transferred to open ground when they take root in a greenhouse. But when transplanting to a flower bed, it is also important to take into account the calendar dates of planting. If, for example, plants have released roots in the fall, then it is better to postpone transplanting them into open ground until spring.
  6. In the first weeks after planting the plants in the flower bed, provide the geyhers with good watering and do not forget to provide the seedlings with shelter from direct sunlight. When the culture takes root on the site, the shelter can be removed.

If the bushes are not transplanted in time, they can die during the winter months, since the bare stems do not tolerate frost well.

Propagation of geyhera by cuttings

When propagating by cuttings, you can take the fragment of the plant you need from a flowering bush. There is no need to dig out the whole geyhera. Look for branches with buds at the bottom of the plant, cut off the shoots and transfer them to the greenhouse or to a well-shaded area. Treat the branches with potassium-containing preparations and plant them in the ground so that the buds are above the ground. After about 4-5 weeks, the cuttings should take root. After another 1-2 months, the plant can be transferred to an open flower bed.

If the cuttings do not take root in the fall, leave them until next spring, covered with spruce branches or other material to protect them from the winter cold.

The use of geyher in landscape design

This culture is valuable because it can retain decorative properties for quite a long time. After the leaves grow back and before the autumn frosts, geyhers will look great. This plant is used in a variety of flower arrangements in flower beds, rosettes and borders. Geykhera can decorate the banks of reservoirs, rockeries or alpine slides. Due to the ability to maintain the same shape for a long time, geyhera is often used to create drawings with clear boundaries or strict geometric shapes. This culture goes well with astilba, hosta, primrose, brunera, ornamental cereals.

Geuchera (Heuchera) is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Saxifrage family. In the natural environment, it lives in the rocky areas of North America. The name is given in honor of the German physician, botanist Johann Heinrich von Geicher.

Geichera is a compact bushes about 50 cm high with exquisite, luxurious leaves that change their color during the growing season, and more than once. No other plant can be compared with a rich palette and a variety of combinations of variegated colors.

Leaves are leathery, attached on long petioles, have serrated edges. They can be smooth, corrugated, curly. Leaves can be bright red, almost black, maroon, amber, pink, purple, yellow, green, silver with stripes, specks, speckles, patterns.

There are decorative-deciduous and decorative-flowering geykhera. Small bell-shaped flowers are painted in white, cream, red, they are collected in paniculate inflorescences. Flowering will last all summer, it can bloom until frost. The fruit is a capsule filled with small seeds (1 g contains about 20,000 seeds).

Growing geyhera from seeds When to sow seedlings

Heuchera is propagated by seed and vegetative methods.

Heuchera marvelous marble Heuchera ‘Marvelous Marble’

Heuchera ‘Marvelous Marble’ photo

The fantastic coloring of the leaves of the Heuchera ‘Marvellous Marble’ Marvelous Marble variety has collected shades of silver, purple, pink and green. The marble pattern, with a clear delineation of expressive veins, attracts the eye even from afar.