Other Names:  Coralbells, Alumroot

Description:

Creamy bells rise from compact mounds of enormous peach colored foliage blushed with rose with hot-pink undersides; amazing contrast to other plants;great versatility; keep soil moist in heat of summer

Ornamental Features

Southern Comfort Coral Bells is primarily valued in the garden for its distinctive form, with the flower stalks towering over the foliage. It features tiny spikes of creamy white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from mid to late summer. Its attractive enormous crinkled lobed leaves remain peach in color with curious hot pink undersides and tinges of rose throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Southern Comfort Coral 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.

Southern Comfort Coral Bells is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Southern Comfort Coral Bells will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 20 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. 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 performs well in both full sun and full 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 applying a thick mulch around the root zone 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.

Southern Comfort Coral Bells is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.