Hardy Roundleaf Alumroot makes an attractive garden addition

Named after German physician and medicinal plant expert Johann Heinrich von Heucher (1677-1747), Roundleaf Alumroot (Heurchera cylindrica), is a hardy native perennial found in the western United States between the Cascade and Rocky mountain ranges, extending south to northern California. The species name, cylindrica meaning round, refers to the leaf shape and gives rise to the common name Roundleaf Alumroot. Other common names include Poker Heuchera and Coral Bells.

This attractive native has a rhizome root structure producing a dense basal cluster of dark green leaves that are rounded or heart shaped, serrated and scalloped. They can be lightly hairy and somewhat leathery. The leaf mound may rise to six inches high and spread up to a foot.

Leafless bloom stalks rise gracefully above the foliage, 20 to 30 inches. They are densely covered with small, bell-shaped creamy white to pale yellow flowers. Bloom occurs in late spring to mid summer depending on elevation and exposure. Fertilized flowers develop into dry, papery capsules containing many tiny seeds.

Wild settings for Roundleaf Alumroot include talus slopes, open rocky woods, ledges, cliffs and subalpine meadows. In landscaped settings it adorns rock gardens, makes nice borders and groundcover. The cream colored flowers blend nicely with other colorful natives, and the foliage adds texture. 

Roundleaf Alumroot is drought tolerant and prefers full sun to part shade. It blooms best if kept moderately watered with some shade during the hottest part of the day. Removing bloom stalks following flowering may stimulate additional blooms.

Rich in tannin and natural astringents, Roundleaf Alumroot has been used as a substitute for alum, a mordant used for fixing dyes in cloth. While the whole plant contains these astringent properties, the roots are the preferred source for medicinal uses. 

A decoction made by boiling the roots in water was taken internally for diarrhea and stomach cramps, and used externally to bathe aching joints. Raw roots were peeled and mashed for poultices applied to sores, cuts and rashes, including poison oak. Fresh, clean pieces of root were chewed to relieve sore throats and mouth sores.

Pictures and a description of Roundleaf Alumroot are found on page 121 in “Landscaping with Native Plants in the Idaho Panhandle,” a KNPS publication available at local bookstores and the Bonner County History Museum. Additional native plants can be viewed at the North Idaho Native Plant Arboretum, 611 S. Ella Ave., in Sandpoint. 

Native Plant Notes are created by the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society. To learn more about KNPS and the North Idaho Native Plant Arboretum, visit nativeplantsociety.org.