How To Prune And Divide Heuchera Coral Bell Plants
There are are many, many types of Heuchera species and cultivars that will return year after year to provide beautiful texture and color in your landscape or gardens. In colder regions some are deciduous, which means they lose all their leaves. In warmer climates many varieties are evergreen, providing beautiful winter interest in the garden.  

Some of the lowest maintenance perennial plants are Heucheras, which some gardeners call Coral Bells. That said, they, and the looks of your garden, will benefit from a little simple and easy pruning at the right time.


Pruning Heuchera Plants

To keep plants tidy, old damaged or dead leaves can be removed after winter. This is much easier done before new leaves begin to emerge in spring. Spent flowers and stems can be removed during the season, which sometimes encourages reblooming. 

In colder regions, Heuchera are susceptible to frost heaving, which causes the plant to rise above the ground. In the event this happens, apply a light layer of soil to cover the crown of the plant. Alternatively, you can dig the plant up and replant at the proper depth.

In milder climates, Heuchera are often evergreen, providing wonderful winter interest in the garden and in mixed container plantings. Still, southern gardeners will want to remove any old and faded leaves in late winter to allow new, fresh leaves to emerge.



Dividing Heuchera Plants

Every 3 to 5 years it's a good idea to divide Heucheras, especially if the center of the plant becomes woody and/or growth slows down. Divide and replant Heucheras in the spring so the divisions have plenty of time to develop a good root system before the next winter season sets in. To divide, simply dig up the plant with a trowel or hand shovel and use your fingers to gently pull the plant apart into divisions. Plant these divisions as soon as possible with the crown at ground level.

TIP: During the growing season, damaged or dead fronds can be removed anytime. 







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