A: I suspect you are referring to the perennial plant also called Alumroot, Heuchera sanguine, which produces a flower on a long, slender stalk in the spring but the flowers are short lived. However, the foliage on these lovely ground cover plants is outstanding ranging in color from deep purple to lime green. Heuchera must be placed in a shady site. There is conflicting information regarding their cold hardiness zones which range from zones 4 – 9. This plant has been widely studied and has produced over 50 varieties – too many to list. With so many cultivars it is difficult to determine whether they all can survive our hot, humid summers. Therefore it would be best to use this plant sparingly until it can demonstrate an ability to perform well in Northeast Florida. Peach Melba is one of the newer Heuchera plants being sold in our local retail garden centers as a “Proven Winner” with the label stating it is hardy in zones 8 and 9. For those of you wanting plants resistant to deer, Heuchera may be a good choice. The flower apparently also attracts butterflies and bees. The plant reaches heights of about 2 feet with 1-2 foot spread. It looks as though it would make a great ground cover under trees as long as it did not receive too much sun. It also does not like soil too moist so be sure the area is well drained. It can also be propagated by seed.

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