This talk was given as part of the Out of the Wilds and into Your Garden Series (2013) which covers California native plants suitable for S. California gardens.
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Island Alumroot – Heuchera maxima
http://kristamaxwell.com/garden/photos.html
Heuchera maxima (tall), sanguinea (dark) & elegans
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Island Alumroot – Heuchera maxima
The genus Heuchera: 50
species: found only in North
America & Mexico; 13 in
California
Name origin: honors J.H. von
Heucher, German professor of
medicine and botany, 1677–1747
A very difficult genus, highly
variable at many levels and
needing much additional
research.
Island Alumroot is found
naturally only in the northern
Channel Islands
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Heuchera+maxima
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Island Alumroot in
nature
Moist shady areas in
chaparral and coastal
sage scrub on N. Channel
Islands:
moist, shady, north-facing
canyon bottoms,
Canyon walls
Moist cliffs
Seacliffs
Low elevations
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/ASP/CPC_ProfileImage.asp?FN=2240a
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Plant characteristics: Island Alumroot
Growth form: clumping – low
mounds of leaves on long
petioles
Foliage: leaves rounded or
heart-shaped, may be
variegated
Roots: long taproot – more
drought tolerant than non-CA
species
Flowers: late winter-mid-spring
White to light pink
Bell-shaped
On long stems well above the foliage
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Island Alumroot:
Easy to grow
Sun: full sun on the coast, part shade
anywhere; can take quite shady
Soils:
Any well-drained – sandy is best
Any pH except very acidic
Nutrients: organic supplements, mulches
are useful
Water:
Regular water to establish
2-4 times a month (especially in
summer and at inland locations) to
keep plants looking green and lengthen
bloom.
Fairly drought tolerant in shady sites
– just look a little raggedy with
summer drought
Maintenance:
Mulch
Remove dead foliage
Divide every 3-5 years – when
flowering decreases
http://www.thegardengeek.com/content/heuchera-maxima-giant-heuchera
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Heucheras in the garden
Woodland and shade gardens or borders
For cut flowers
Habitat for bees and hummingbirds
As a groundcover in shady parts of the
garden, including under trees (oaks &
pines)
In pots
To line walkways
Attractive foliage as well as flowers –
plant where you can enjoy it
And it even re-seeds itself!
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_pag
e/heuchera_maxima.htm
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Heuchera hybrids
Bred for both foliage and flower
color characteristics
Active area in horticulture
Some of best known (and now
widely available) were developed
by Dr. Lee W. Lenz at Rancho
Santa Ana Botanic Gardens
Heuchera maxima x
H. sanguinea hybrids:
'Genevieve‘ – large marbled
leaves with pink & white flowers
'Opal‘ – large green leaves with
pale pink-white flowers
'Santa Ana Cardinal‘ – dark,
shiny leaves with rose-red
flowers
'Susanna‘ – red flowers
'Wendy' - compact with bright
pink flowers
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Finally we can use some water-wise
Zone 2 plants as fillers
Wide selection to choose from:
Shrubs
Sub-shrubs
Perennials
Ferns
Grasses/grass-like plants
CA Fuschia – Epilobium canum
Ashy-leaf Buckwheat California Marshlavender
Limonium californicum
Lilac Verbena
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Fortunately, many CA native plants are
more adaptable than we first thought…
https://nwwildflowers.wordpress.com/tag/spiraea-splendens/
http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/species/Dryopteris_arguta.htm