Heuchera villosa Pinot Noir

The Heuchera Pinot Noir is a compact, vigorous heuchera with dark and fantastic foliage: In spring, its young shoots are almost black, and then the leaves lighten up with silvery reflections, revealing spectacular purple veins. This variety flowers quite late, but abundantly, providing incredibly light and extraordinary flower spikes, perfect for bouquets. This compact and vigorous variety makes an excellent ground cover, to be combined with other shade-loving plants. Its evergreen foliage with magnificent colours will make very ornamental pots, 9 months out of 12.

The 'Pinot Noir' Heuchera belongs to the saxifrage family. It is a hybrid of Heuchera villosa, native to the mountains of the eastern United States, obtained in France by Thierry and Sandrine Delabroye. It will reach a height of 25-30cm (10-12in) for the foliage and 40cm (16in) in width in 4 to 5 years. This Heuchera forms a very compact mound of leaves. The foliage is the major asset of this plant: its persistent, triangular leaves with lobed lamina are a very dark wine colour at bud break, changing colour throughout the seasons, taking on metallic reflections and revealing highly coloured veins of a wine red. The underside of the foliage is more silvery. The leaves of this Heuchera have strong veins. The light and airy flowering begins in August and continues until October. The flowers, barely pink at first, becoming white, are arranged along an erect stem 45cm (18in) high. This plant has a shallow root system.

The 'Pinot Noir' Heuchera deserves a special place in the garden, along a path or in a small shaded and cool rockery, not far from a pathway to be able to admire it as often as possible. It also adapts very well to container gardening. In a row along a border, this Heuchera will bring a touch of mystery and poetry to the garden. Combine it with hostas, Carex, grasses, and ferns for a wild effect. In a rockery, place a light mulch contrasting with its beautiful foliage at its feet. Finally, it makes an ideal ground cover, with remarkable colours. Combine this Heuchera with the cultivar 'Autumn Brides' or with blue or pink flowers, forget-me-nots, corydalis, or lungworts. Heuchera is perfect for filling your pots, containers, and large shaded planters. A good cut flower, the graceful bells of this plant bring a lot of lightness to bouquets.