Heucherella 'Copper Cascade'

Colorful Heucherella are nothing new, but the play of orange tones on 'Copper Cascade' is something beyond compare. And the colors just become darker and more vibrant in summer heat and humidity! 'Copper Cascade' stands up effortlessly even to the punishing summers of the south and southwest, keeping its densely layered, mounded form and improving its already brilliant hues. Here or there a leaf may "green out" or turn scarlet, depending on sunlight and weather, but overall the effect is strikingly true to its name, 'Copper Cascade.' The shiny orange leaves feature striking deep red veins below peachy lobes, the two working together to create a dazzling coppery effect.

Expect this spreading Heucherella to reach only 8 inches high, but 28 inches wide. In late spring, creamy white blooms peek over the foliage, adding another 4 inches of height in a charming display. Attractive to butterflies, they can be left on the plant or snipped as filler for indoor arrangements. And as they pass, the amber, orange, and apricot tones of the spring leaves turn to richer cinnamon, burnt umber, and copper with the hot weather of summer. Magnificent!

'Copper Cascade' fares best in partial shade, though it will tolerate full shade as well. It prefers soil that has been amended with organics, but once established in the garden is quite tolerant of less-rich conditions. In mild and warm climates it remains evergreen through winter; farther north, it will die back to the ground, only to regrow rapidly in spring. Vigorous and well-branched, it needs no coddling or encouragement to quickly form a dense, bold, over-the-top presence that demands attention and inspires admiration. 'Copper Cascade' truly shines wherever it can trail down--a hanging basket, mixed container, or raised pot, but it also makes a glorious groundcover among other shade-lovers like Hosta, Helleborus, Pulmonaria, and Actaea, as well as its cousins Heuchera and Tiarella.

Impervious to most pests and diseases, this adaptable perennial is a good choice for groundcover and mass planting as well as accent use in the border and in containers. Simply plant it in shade and give it average water, and it will delight for years! Zones 4-9.