Grow foamy bells in part shade and moist, well-drained soil. Heucherella is the botanical name — a hybrid of coral bells and foamflower, not a coral bells type.
Give it part shade and moist, well-drained soil
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Part shade, or morning sun with afternoon shade | Do not set gold or lime leaves on a hot west wall after noon |
| Soil | Moist, well-drained soil with compost worked in | Do not plant in a low clay pocket that stays wet in winter |
| Water | Keep the soil evenly moist the first season, then water in a summer dry spell | Do not leave standing water around the crown, and do not let the bed go bone-dry for weeks |
| Winter | Mulch after the ground freezes. Leave the foliage on | Do not cut the leaves off in fall, and do not let the crown sit wet through freeze-thaw |
Set foamy bells where morning light hits and the afternoon is filtered. Keep the soil evenly moist, not soggy. [1] Darker leaves take more sun once they are established. Gold and lime leaves scorch in hot afternoon light. [2] Kinds bred with Heuchera villosa, such as Sweet Tea and Alabama Sunrise, hold foliage color better through a humid summer. Raised ground or a pot helps if winter water sits on the bed. [3]
- Choose part shade. Morning sun is fine. Move gold or lime kinds, such as Golden Zebra, out of a west wall that bakes after noon.
- Work compost into soil that drains. Skip a low spot that puddles after rain.
- Water to establish, then keep the top of the soil from going bone-dry in heat. Do not leave the crown in a puddle.
- After a hard freeze, mulch around the plant, not on the crown. Leave the leaves on through winter so they shelter the growing point. In spring, press a heaved crown back so it sits at the soil again.
Does foamy bells need full sun?
No. Part shade is the usual site. Darker leaves take more morning sun once they are established. Gold and lime leaves bleach in hot afternoon light.
How often should I water foamy bells?
Keep the soil evenly moist the first season. After that, water in a summer dry spell. Do not leave the crown in a puddle.
Use a draining pot or hanging basket
A pot with a drain hole and a loose, peat-and-bark mix is how you keep winter wet off clay. Set the crown slightly above the mix, the same as in the ground. Water when the top inch is dry, and empty the saucer. Trailing kinds such as Redstone Falls belong at the rim of a hanging basket or a mixed pot, not as a tight border mound.
Can I grow foamy bells in a pot?
Yes. Use a pot with a hole, keep the crown high, and water when the top inch is dry. Trailing kinds spill from a hanging basket.
Set the crown slightly above the soil
Plant from a nursery pot in spring after the soil warms, or in early fall with enough weeks for roots to take before a hard freeze. The crown — where the leaves meet the roots — sits slightly above the surrounding soil so water does not pool in the growing point.
- Confirm foamy bells on the tag — Heucherella, not coral bells, not foamflower.
- Dig a hole as deep as the pot and a little wider. On heavy clay, raise the bed with compost first so water moves away.
- Slide the root ball out. Set it so the base of the foliage sits slightly above soil level. Do not bury the crown. [4]
- Space plants about 12 to 18 inches apart, or up to two feet for a large mound, so air moves between clumps.
- Backfill with the same amended soil. Water once to settle. Mulch around the plant, keeping bark off the crown.
How deep do I plant foamy bells?
No deeper than the nursery pot. The crown sits slightly above the soil so it does not rot.
When should I plant foamy bells?
Spring after the soil warms, or early fall with time for roots to take before a hard freeze. Midsummer heat is a harder start.
Divide every few years and discard the old crown
A nursery plant is the usual start. Named hybrids rarely come true from seed. When the center turns woody and the clump thins, divide in early spring.
- Lift the clump. Cut or pull it into pieces that each have leaves and roots.
- Discard the oldest, woody center. Keep the younger outer crowns.
- Reset each piece with the crown slightly above fresh, draining soil. Water to settle, then keep the mix evenly moist until new leaves push.
How do I divide foamy bells?
Every three or four years, lift the clump in early spring, keep rooted outer pieces, and throw out the woody center. Reset the crown slightly above the soil.
Deadhead spent stems, and clean damaged leaves in spring
Foamy bells does not need a hard cut. Spent flower stems can come off at the base after bloom, and winter-damaged leaves come off in spring before new growth fills in.
- In early spring, snip winter-damaged leaves at the base. Do not cut into the crown.
- After the sprays fade, cut each spent stem down near the foliage if you want a tidier mound. A second flush of bloom sometimes follows.
- Leave the foliage on through fall. The leaves shelter the growing point through freeze-thaw.
Do I need to deadhead foamy bells?
It is optional. Snip spent flower stems at the base if you want a tidier mound. Clean winter-damaged leaves in spring, not in fall.
Not coral bells — and not foamflower
Foamy bells is Heucherella, a hybrid of Heuchera and Tiarella. The leaf is usually more lobed and pointed than coral bells. It wants moister soil and more shade than a typical Heuchera. Coral bells is How to Grow Coral Bells. Foamflower is How to Grow Foamflower, a woodland plant with greener, more cut leaves and a need for even more shade and moisture.
A tag that says foamy bells is this plant. A tag that says coral bells or alumroot is Heuchera. A tag that says foamflower is Tiarella. Some Heucherella trail; most coral bells mound.
Is Heucherella the same as Heuchera?
No. Heucherella is the hybrid of coral bells and foamflower. It wants more even moisture and, for most kinds, more shade.
Is foamy bells the same as foamflower?
No. Foamflower is Tiarella. Foamy bells is the hybrid. Confirm Heucherella on the tag.
Part shade, even moisture, crown slightly above the soil. Confirm Heucherella on the tag.
FAQ
Are foamy bells evergreen?
In a mild winter the leaves often hold. After a hard freeze they may look ragged. Clean them up in spring, not in fall.
Can I grow foamy bells from seed?
Named hybrids are mostly sterile. Buy a nursery plant, or divide a clump you already like.
What is a trailing foamy bells?
Some cultivars send long stems instead of a tight mound. Use those at the edge of a pot or hanging basket. Care is the same moist, drained mix.
Does foamy bells get rust?
Some kinds do. Give the clump air, keep the crown out of standing water, and pull badly marked leaves. That is not a spray calendar.
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/x-heucherella/ - [2] University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture -
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/heucherella.aspx - [3] UT Gardens -
https://utgardens.tennessee.edu/june-2017-plant-of-the-month-foamy-bells/ - [4] Garden Design -
https://www.gardendesign.com/perennials/heucherella.html
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors