Hardy Roundleaf Alumroot makes an attractive garden addition
The leafless blooms of the Roundleaf Alumroot rises above a dense basal cluster of dark green leaves that are rounded or heart shaped, serrated and scalloped.
(Photo courtesy BOB WILSON/KINNIKINNICK NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY)
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.
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