Plant Encyclopedia

Description:

Dainty spikes of white bells rise from a compact mound of gold foliage, contrasting with vibrant, red veins, coppery leaves in winter; a cross between Heuchera and Tiarella; amazing contrast to other plants; great versatility; keep moist in heat of summer

Ornamental Features

Alabama Sunrise Foamy Bells features dainty spikes of white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive deeply cut lobed leaves are yellow in color with distinctive red veins. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous coppery-bronze in the fall. The black stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Alabama Sunrise Foamy Bells is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Alabama Sunrise Foamy Bells is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Alabama Sunrise Foamy Bells will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity extending to 18 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 15 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Alabama Sunrise Foamy Bells is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.