Heuchera 'Palace Purple' is one of the first alumroot selections from a naturally purple-leafed native species and was chosen as the 1991 Perennial Plant of the Year. It is a member of the saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae), but its species identity is debated. It may be a selection of hairy alumroot ( H. villosa ) or of H. micrantha . This is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial, growing 8 to 12 inches tall and up to 16 inches wide. It is grown for its beautiful foliage, which may range in color from olive green to bronze-green to deep purple, while the underside of the leaf is a dark wine-red. The tiny white or pale pink bell-shaped flowers are less significant but are a dramatic contrast against the darker leaves. 'Palace Purple' should be planted with the crown at or above the soil surface in organically rich soil, in the sun or partial shade. It is intolerant of clay soils. In hot summer areas, a part-shade location will help to prevent the leaf color from fading. Planting in full sun will require extra care in watering, as the soil should not be allowed to dry out. Clumps can be divided in the spring every 3 or 4 years. Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. 'Palace Purple' originated in England; however, the seed lot was imported from a botanical garden in the United States. This plant was grown on the grounds of the Queen's Palace at Kew Gardens, resulting in the cultivar name, 'Palace Purple.' Use in borders or groups of woodland, winter, and shade gardens. It makes an excellent plant for containers, including mixed containers, playing the role of “filler." It makes a beautiful groundcover. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant insect pests or diseases. Do not overwater plants, as this can lead to fungal problems. More information on Heuchera .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 4 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Mounding
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaf color ranges from olive green to bronze-purple to deep purple above, and wine-red below. Foliage may fade to bronze-green in hot summers. The leaves appear lobed, similar to a maple leaf, and measure 3 to 5 inches wide.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Pink; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Pinkish or creamy-white bell-shaped flowers on slender dark red stems extend above the mounding clump of leaves. The delicate flowers bloom in late spring to early summer.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The stems are slender, dark red, up to 20 inches tall, bearing small flowers.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Members of the genus Heuchera support the following specialized bee: Colletes aestivalis. Tannin in the foliage gives it a bitter taste that makes it unappetizing to deer and rabbits.