Silver Gumdrop Coral Bells
Heuchera Dolce® 'Silver Gumdrop'
A compact coral bells with shimmering, iridescent silver leaves that take on a rosy blush late in the season, topped with vibrant pink flowers — a bright spark for the shade garden.
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Heuchera Dolce® ‘Silver Gumdrop’ is a compact coral bells made for brightening the shade. Its semi-glossy leaves shimmer an iridescent silver, then warm to a rosy blush as the season goes on, so the plant shifts gently in color from spring through fall. The neat, mounded habit makes it an easy fit at the front of a border, along a path, or tucked into a container.
In midsummer it lifts slender scapes of vibrant pink flowers above the silvery foliage — a cheerful contrast that bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are quick to find. Like other heucheras it asks only for humus-rich, well-drained soil and a light tidy-up of worn leaves in early spring, after which it returns faithfully year after year.
Fun Fact
The leaves' silver sheen is a clever bit of plant optics — a thin reflective layer over darker pigment scatters light, which helps the plant make the most of dim, shady spots while giving the foliage its metallic shimmer and late-season rosy blush.
Habitat & form
Where it's from and what to expect.
- Native range
- Garden hybrid (the genus is native to North America)
- Plant type
- Perennial
- Mature size
- 6–8 in. tall in leaf, 14–16 in. wide; flower scapes reach 20–24 in.
- Bloom
- Vibrant pink flowers on slender scapes appear in midsummer above the foliage, drawing bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 4–9.
Care
How to keep it happy.
- Sunlight
- Part shade to full shade. A classic shade-garden perennial that lights up low-light corners.
- Water
- Average; keep soil evenly moist with good drainage. Dislikes standing water, especially over winter.
- Soil
- Humus-rich, fertile, well-drained soil amended with organic matter (leaf compost or pine-bark fines); slightly acidic to neutral pH. Dislikes heavy clay. Salt tolerant.
- Pruning
- Maintenance: easy. Trim tattered or winter-burned foliage in early spring as new growth emerges; remove spent flower scapes. Divide every few years to keep the clump full.