'Red Lightning' Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Perennial
- Eye catching gold foliage with colorful red veins.
- Adds fabulous color and texture to shady landscapes.
- Perfect addition to container plantings.
- Charming white flowers in summer attract pollinators.
- Zones 4-9, part sun/shade, 16″ tall x 18″ wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Patent #: USPP 27,767
Common name: Coral bells, Alum root, heuchera
Zone: 4 - 9
Sun exposure: Shade (<4 hours sun), Part-sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 11 - 16" X 18"
Flower color: White
Foliage color: Green-gold
Season of Interest: Spring-Fall
Bloom time: Midsummer, late summer
Features: Winter interest, rabbit & deer resistant, native, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, cold tolerant
Uses: Accent, border, container gardening, edging, ground cover, massing, small spaces, under planting, woodland
How to Grow
Light: As a general rule, they do well in shade, but for the brightly colored varieties, some morning sun ensures best color development. The color can wash out in full sun, and too much heat and light can cause the leaves to scorch.
Water: Average. It's better to err on the side of caution and keep heuchera on the dry, rather than the wet, side. Keep the soil evenly moist, but not consistently wet to prevent root rot.
Spacing: 1.5 ft
Fertilizing: Spread a layer of compost or rotted manure in early spring. Mulch is a good idea, but keep it from mounding on the crown (center) of the plant. Heuchera does not require fertilization during the fall or winter months.
Winterizing: Winter mulching will prevent the freezing and thawing that can heave plants roots. Heucheras are somewhat evergreen and should be left in place for winter. The old foliage typically lies flat and gets covered by the new growth, after which it slowly dies away, but you may remove it in early spring if you wish.
Maintenance & Pruning: Cut back the entire flower stalk after flowering to put the plant's energy into growing more leaves.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
I planted the Red Lightning Coral Bells in 2025, zone 6a. It has done substantially well. The colors are vibrant and it adds a unique look in the garden. I am really happy that I planted this.
Plants looked exceptionally healthy when I received them. I ordered three coral bells of three different types. They just haven't done well. I have them planted next to some tuberous begonias which are doing nicely. I did not realize that the coral bells would be so fragile.
Hey TJ,
We are thinking that your leaves looking like this could either be a result of too much sunlight, or not enough water. Coral Bells typically do best in shady/partial sun areas. The photos you attached seem like the plants are in a sunnier area. It might be best to put them somewhere were they are getting less sun and making sure they are getting enough water.
Happy Gardening!
These heuchera look just like the picture. They haven't grown a lot in the first year, but the foliage has maintained its bright coloring all summer. Hopefully this comes back just as beautifully next year.
This plant arrived healthy and beautifully packaged. I can't wait to plant it. I would buy from this seller again and I did.
My favorite coral bells,healthy fast shiping now thriving in my yard
Plants are Bee-A-utiful!
Performed poorly. Didn't grow well. Looked terrible so I removed them
Hello! We’re sorry you’re having trouble with your plants. All of our orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee, but outside of that timeframe, we cannot be responsible for the care of your plants. If you’d like to talk to our customer service team, you can reach them at [email protected]. Happy gardening!
Arrived well-packaged and healthy.
The three red lightning plants I ordered all died. My experience with this order is covered in a separate note to your email address.
Hello! We appreciate your feedback. We will be responding to your email as soon as possible. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping!
I've received several heuchera plants and are doing excellent. As always. I received healthy well packed plants.
Came quickly. Well protected..healthy..looking good
I ordered 3 - my plants arrived healthy and happy, and bigger than expected. Looking forward to planting them in my shade garden. Thanks GGP!
I received my plants and the leaves were crunchy and brittle. There were a few tiny leaves at the bottom that were still green and so since the red lightning coral belles are so hard to find I kept the plants thinking they would recover. They didn't.
Hello! We apologize you received your plants not up to our standards. As we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors like shipping and handling are outside of our control, and issues like this can sometimes happen. Please email pictures of the plant to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60-day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
This Red Lightning Heuchera was delivered well-packaged, undamaged, very healthy and transplanted without stress. I'm very pleased with this online purchase. Like other Heucheras I've planted, it hasn't quite developed its red veining and I really don't expect it until next spring. So, it's currently more of a "Chartreuse Lightning", lol, but it's healthy and growing.
Again, I'm very please with this purchase and I'll likely be buying more from GGP. My only "issue" is that GGP does not routinely show plants' mature size in the description. I had to go to competitors' sites to track down the expected mature size of Red Lightning, and I ended up buying things on those sites. Mature size of Red Lightning, by the way, is 10-12" high with a 14-16" spread.
Hello Robert! We are sure to show each plant's mature size on all of our plant pages. Head to the more information section and hit the 'details' tab to find extra information such as mature size, sun needs, zone information, and more! Thanks for your feedback, we appreciate it. Happy gardening!
They died shortly after receiving them.
Hello John!
I'm sorry to hear your new plants didn't survive. We offer a 30 day guarantee on all of our plants. Reach out to us at [email protected] so we can help find a solution for you.
The Red Lightning came in robust, but from week to week the leaves started to get withered and brownish around their contour. Last week I sent you a picture. As i cut the leaves and took it off the soil to examine the roots, I found that there were too much perlite around the roots, perhaps it was done to provide much humidity to the plants while traveling? I have a "3 in 1 soil tester" and am sure to give the right care to my plants. I have a sunny balcony south east exposed and the other plants are doing well, but the Red Lightning.
Hi, Monique!
I apologize for the condition of your Heuchera! I am happy to see that our customer representative Pam was able to set up some replacements for you.
Great price. Excellent packaging. Plants were in great shape when delivered
'Red Lightning' Coral Bells
Plants came in a timely manner, looked very healthy and robust, and have been planted and settled in. They are doing great. Will purchase from Garden Plants again.
The plants arrived in much better condition and were much larger than expected. They are doing well in their new home.
It’s exactly as pictured, colorful and vibrant! Was shipped safely and healthy!
Love this plant. It really pops in the shady area in which it's planted.
This is my first time planting coral bells and this one is simply gorgeous!! I also bought the Apple Twist and Peachberry (?) and a lime green one and they all are thriving and outstanding.