Heuchera richardsonii - Prairie Alumroot - 3" Pot

Prairie alumroot is a low-growing, clump-forming perennial that thrives in most well-drained soils. It can tolerate full sun in cooler, northern climates but appreciates some shade in hot, dry, southerly climates.

Prairie alumroot is beloved by landscape designers for its attractive foliage. It forms a neat mound of curly-edged, circular to heart-shaped basal leaves. These leaves may be variegated when young but mature to a uniform green. Fuzzy, slender flowering stalks rise from the center of the foliage to a height of two feet. These flowering stalks are adorned with a cluster of small, tubular flowers. The flower color ranges from greenish or cream in shaded situations to ruddy reddish in full sun. Bright orange stamens protrude from the tubular petals. The flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and small bees. One bee species, Colletes aestivalis, specializes on alumroots.

While the flowering structure of a single plant can be fairly inconspicuous, prairie alumroot can be massed to create a scintillating early summer floral display. This species works wonderfully in rock gardens and shade gardens as a front border or as edging. It also makes for an excellent container plant. Prairie alumroot has a shallow root system and can benefit from winter mulching.