American Alumroot (Heuchera americana), commonly known as Coral Bells, is a low-growing, evergreen perennial native to eastern and central North America, including parts of Ontario, Canada. It forms attractive mounds of lobed, semi-evergreen foliage, often with marbled or veined patterns in shades of green, purple, or bronze. Typically growing 12 to 18 inches tall and wide, this plant sends up slender flower spikes in late spring to early summer, reaching up to 24 inches in height. These airy stalks bear small, bell-shaped greenish-white to cream-colored flowers that provide nectar for native bees and hummingbirds.
Coral Bells thrive in partial shade to full shade and prefers moist, well-drained, humus-rich soils. It is commonly found in rocky woodlands, cliffs, and shaded slopes, where it grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8. Once established, it shows good drought tolerance and is highly deer-resistant, making it a practical and attractive choice for woodland gardens, rock gardens, shaded borders, or naturalized groundcover.
Ecologically, Heuchera americana supports native pollinators such as Colletes aestivalis (a species of miner bee), and its flowers offer early-season nectar in woodland environments. The dense foliage also provides habitat and cover for small wildlife. Historically, its roots were used by Indigenous peoples and early settlers as a source of tannins, acting as a natural astringent and as a substitute for alum in traditional dyeing processes. The genus name Heuchera honors the 18th-century German botanist Johann Heinrich von Heucher.
