Use & Care NotesCompanion Plants
Prom Dress Coral Bells: Ruffled Pewter Silver to Echo Lavender
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Prom Dress coral bells is dressed for the occasion: heavily ruffled, rounded leaves in pewter silver, traced with dark charcoal veins and flushed with violet on new growth and on the undersides, which peek out along the frilly edges. In midsummer, slim stems carry a light haze of small pink bells.
Its silver leaves are a natural echo of lavender's foliage. It is happiest, though, where the garden gets some afternoon shade and a little more water than lavender likes.
Prom Dress at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Heuchera 'Prom Dress' |
| Foliage | Heavily ruffled pewter silver with charcoal veins and a violet flush |
| Flowers | Small pink bells on slim stems |
| Mound size | 8 to 10 inches tall, 16 to 18 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts late June, peaks mid-July |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 4 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun to full shade; afternoon shade keeps the silver bright |
| Deer | Moderately resistant |
Silver meets silver
Lavender's gray foliage is half its charm, and Prom Dress has the same cool, metallic tone in a completely different shape: broad, frilly and low. Placed at the shadier end of a lavender bed, or along a path where a building or tree cuts the afternoon sun, it carries lavender's silver theme into spots lavender cannot handle. The violet undersides even nod to the flowers.
Its foliage lasts well into autumn, so it keeps looking good after the lavender has been cut back, and it is a nice partner for mums and pumpkins in fall displays. Plan where your sun fades to shade in the Companion Plant Planner.
Care for ruffled coral bells
- Soil: it tolerates poor to average soil as long as it drains well. Crown rot in wet soil is the main problem.
- Water: water during dry spells, at the base rather than overhead, especially late in the day.
- Heat: average heat tolerance. Afternoon shade keeps the silver bright in hot sites.
- Air: good circulation helps it handle humid summers.
- Spring: trim spent flower stems and old leaves.
Frost heaving
Prom Dress stays evergreen to semi-evergreen in Michigan, but freeze-thaw cycles can heave it out of heavy or wet soil. Plant the crown at soil level, mulch after the ground freezes and press any heaved plants back into place in spring.
Edging, pots and cut foliage
Use it for edging, mass plantings and containers. The ruffled leaves also make striking cut foliage for arrangements, especially with a few stems of fresh lavender.
Tray sizes
Prom Dress comes as a 72-cell plug tray and as a 20-cell plug tray with larger cells. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Can Prom Dress grow right next to lavender?
Only where it gets some afternoon shade and a bit more water than the lavender. In the hot, dry center of a lavender bed, the leaves can scorch.
Why do the leaves look more purple in spring?
New leaves open with a violet flush and turn more pewter as the season goes on.
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