Do Coral Bells Like Sun or Shade?

Greetings friends, I have been growing Coral Bells for a long time and have over fifty varieties in my collection. Today I would like to discuss the relationship of this plant to the sun.

Coral Bells like shade but they can also grow well in partial shade. There are also varieties that can be grown in full sun if you follow some rules.

Full sun all day can tolerate only very dark varieties. Their color will be even slightly more intense than if they were growing in full shade.

Sometimes, though, in the extreme heat and strong sun, their color may fade. No, they won’t get a burn, but the leaves will have a terracotta hue. So even a few hours of shade will do them good.

Dark heucheras can grow in the sun being planted both in the ground and in pots. Although the plant will grow a little better in the ground.

Coral Bells That Tolerate Full Sun

Among the sun-tolerant varieties, Heuchera ‘Black Pearl’ is worth mentioning. This variety has dark leaves 4 inches wide. Its size is quite large and the shape is very dense. It will have a dark brown color in the half shade and turn black in full sun, which is great-looking.

The second sun-tolerant variety is the Obsidian. It also has large, dark maroon-colored leaves. When planted in full sun it is almost black. The leaves are textured and very pretty.

Read also: Coral Bells Main Growing Guide.

Coral Bells That Tolerate Partial Sun

Coral Bells that are colored red or crimson are more sensitive to the amount of light. They are best planted in a location where they will only get direct sun in the morning (up to 6 hours).

In the middle of the day, they should be in the shade because the sun can damage them. This does not always happen, but if the summer sun is strong and there are many sunny days, problems may arise.

It is best to plant such heucheras on the east side of the house or behind larger plants.

Heuchera Rio is an ideal candidate for partial shade. It has a beautiful pattern on the leaf and a bright red color. The bush is very neat and ornate. In my garden, this variety gets about 6-7 hours of sun a day and so far so good.

Heuchera Peach Melba is a pink variety with medium-sized leaves. It is also a good variety for partial shade.

Coral Bells That Need Full Shade

Light green and yellow heucheras are worst in direct sun. They should be planted in a place where they will be exposed to direct sunlight for about 2 hours in the morning and evening.

If they get direct sunlight in the middle of the day, they will get brownish-colored burns. In most cases, this can only happen in the summer.

The best place to plant such Coral Bells is on the north side of the house or under a tree canopy. They can also grow in full shade resulting in even more vigor.

Solar Power is one of the best yellow-green varieties, in morning sunlight has a unique color of leaves. However, with plenty of sunlight, it will burn. The variety grows quickly, so when planting, it needs to allocate more space.

Rex Lime is an energetic variety, with light green leaves, leaf shapes twisted. Unfortunately, in the direct afternoon sun, the leaves get burned, so put it in partial shade.

Lime Rickey is better to grow in a place where the morning sun shines, so it will have brighter leaves with a lemon tint. It will be green in full shade. In full sun the leaves will burn.

Sunburn

If your Coral Bells gets sunburn, you will get brown spots on the leaves and some of the leaves will die.

The first thing you need to do is install shade over the plant. Use a garden umbrella or special netting from a garden center.

Remove the dead leaves and keep the ones that are at least partially alive.

Next, water the plant generously once. The amount of water should be at least 1-2 gallons.

Do not transplant the heuchera right away, do it in spring or fall. Move it to a spot with morning sun and shade the rest of the day.

Successful cultivation of heucheras in the sun

To make your Coral Bells more comfortable in full sun you need to water it regularly. Do not let the soil dry out more than 1 to 2 inches. Water potted heucheras growing in full sun when the soil is 1 inch dry.

Use at least 1 gallon of water when watering. All parts of the root system should get water. The best way to water is with a drip hose.

Use mulch to prevent the soil from overheating. Also, mulch will help the soil dry out more slowly. It is better to use organic matter as mulch.

Provide well-drained soil to avoid root rot if you have to water frequently (in the heat of summer). You can get such soil by adding 1-2 buckets of soil conditioner to the native soil.