Fire Chief is a remarkable Coral Bells not just because of its intense scarlet color, but also for its amazing blooms. The dainty flowers are a lovely accent, the stems are tall and brightly colored, and best of all, these little flowers rebloom like crazy!
Reaching less than 2 feet high and wide, this mounding, layered perennial is often a blaze of scarlet for the partly shaded garden. The foliage is large and somewhat maple-shaped, really showy even from a distance. It will be evergreen in most climates, turning purplish for winter and then emerging fresh crimson again in spring. The colors of this foliage vary with heat and leaf maturity but you'll never be bored!
The blooms are pale pink and bell-shaped, arising on tall, slender stems at the center of the plant. They first appear in late spring in most climates, then repeat at intervals all summer and even into fall. Butterflies take note, adding their own brilliant color to the shade border.
Fire Chief can tolerate a lot of sun in the North; in the South and Southwest it is best planted in part to full shade and average soil. The more sun it gets, the more careful you need to be about keeping the soil moist to help prevent leaf scorch. Fire Chief's high tolerance for heat and humidity makes it well-suited to the Deep South, but it is also hardy up to zone 4. Versatile, beautiful in every season, and easy -- Fire Chief has it all. Zones 4-9.
