Other Names:  Coralbells, Alumroot

Brand:  Walters Gardens

Description:

Flat, matte leaves emerge light gray with a rosy blush before maturing to solid gray with dark gray veining; provides color, contrast and texture to beds and borders; light rose flowers appear on tall scapes; performs well in hot and humid conditions

Ornamental Features

Smoke and Mirrors Coral Bells features dainty spikes of rose bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid summer. Its attractive crinkled lobed leaves emerge rose in spring, turning gray in color with distinctive dark gray veins the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes

Smoke and Mirrors Coral Bells is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Smoke and Mirrors Coral Bells is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Smoke and Mirrors Coral Bells will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity extending to 18 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 16 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 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 performs well in both full sun and full shade. However, you may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. 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.

Smoke and Mirrors Coral 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 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.