Plum Pudding and color questions

I just bought Plum Pudding and planted it in a spot where it will get all day high shade and then direct sun in the latter hours of the day. I know, not ideal, but that's what I've got. I really wanted something purple and/or silvery, so it caught my eye at the nursery. My question is, what is likely to happen to the color as the season progresses? I know it will probably not be as purple, but I really don't want it to get murky the way some of mine do. For instance, Prince, and Purple Petticoats are nice for me early on, but then turn an unattractive shade of dark greenish purple. I don't want that. I don't know if they are in too much shade, or it's just their natural habit. Prince gets morning sun, afternoon shade.

I have Guardian Angel on the other half of this bed, which gets even more shade, and that one looks fantastic from Spring to Fall. I would have purchased another of those for this spot, but they didn't have it. Another one which holds a pretty color all season for me in dappled shade is Gypsy Dancer. Again, not readily available and also too small for this spot.

Does soil acidity affect color at all? (my soil is pretty acidic)

So...experiences with Plum Pudding and/or any non Spring color pics of it to share? Other choices I passed on today were Amethyst Mist and Raspberry Ice...would either of those have been a better choice?

Here is mine from today

This message was edited May 27, 2009 2:08 PM

This is Guardian Angel, from the other side of the bed. Out of all my heuchera, this one probably does the best. I wish it had better flowers, though

Noreaster -

That all depends on what you were after. My Amethyst Myst keeps it's purple coloring all year round however it is far more intense in color in the spring.

Sparkling Burgandy keeps a nice red color through out the year without going green.

Carolyn, what light conditions do you have Amethyst Mist in? I'm just concerned about Plum Pudding turning a muddy shade, is all. Less intense purple would be ok...I just don't want more green than purple, the way Purple Petticoats goes, for example.

She is under a tree way in the back. Right now, she is getting filtered sunlight. As the tree continues to open up, it will become more and more shaded.

Hi Noreaster,

My Plum Puddings are in a spot where they get direct morning sun for a couple of hours and the rest of the time it is high open shade. Their spring colour is more purple. Then as the season progresses the silvery underlay gets more pronounced. So, rather than it turning a greenish-purple as some of them do, it gets a more silvery look with purple veins.

Some others that I find are silvery with purple veins (that don't go green through the summer): Can Can, Rave On, Regina, Amethyst Myst, Frosted Violet, Jade Gloss.

Sandy

Plum Pudding in July:

Can Can, August 3rd - some direct morning sun, and open shade the rest of the day:

Noreaster, You were wondering about Raspberry Ice. It's a fabulous long bloomer for me but the veins are more green with a silvery underlay in the summertime. The flowers are also a bit floppy. The best ones for flowers is Rave On or Jade Gloss as they flowers their little heads off and the stems are strong and straight (especially Jade Gloss). They are both in the same bed that has high open shade until late afternoon. That's the same conditions as you planted Plum Pudding, right? Perhaps that situation will enhance flowering? Hmm, not sure.

Jade Gloss:

Then there's the really dark ones such as Obsidian, Licorice and Midnight Rose which keep their colour.

Sparkling Burgundy is a different colour all together - kind of a rosy burgundy. I agree with Carolyn above, in that it keeps it's nice colouring through the summer.

Here's my Sparkling Burgundy on July 22 - it's in open shade all day with a couple of hours direct sun in late afternoon:

Ooh, Can Can is really nice! I wish that had been available locally..I don't really want to order anything at this point. But I really like that one.

I do like Heuchera for flowers, as well. That's probably why Gypsy Dancer is my favorite, for it's pink flowers that bloom all season. I don't like the ones with dirty white flowers that flop all over the place (Guardian Angel). I just cut those right off. Jade Gloss is really nice, too.

Hi, All.

I am redoing part shade bed. I have azaleas at the back that have a nice soft lavender bloom (Herberts, I think). Anne Hathaway lamium towards the front, and some Tiramisu in between. I want to select some heuchera that will work with the light green/lavender blooms azalea at the back and the yeloowish lamium and Tiramusia towards the front.

SO: I'm thinking pinkish or lavender heuchera. I do want to move away from the yellow and light green of the lamium and the (early) Tiramisu. I have been looking at Midnight Rose, Sparkling Burgundy, and Raspberry Ice.

Any help????

sissystars, Frosted Violet might be another one to check out. I'm not sure whether it would work with the Lamium and Tiramisu, but I bet it would look fabulous with the lavender blooms on your Azalea.

Sandy

Noreaster - I have Plum Pudding that gets sun almost all day long and totally agree with Sandy, they retain their purple color and the silver overlay gets more pronounced as summer progresses. I think Raspberry Ice is way too green. I would stick with the Plum Pudding.

sissystars - I have Frosted Violet too and that is my new favorite of the purples (runner up is Plum Pudding). Mine look just like Sandy's, the veining is almost irredescent and the growth habit is very upright, growing large. Personally, I think Sparkling Burgundy is too red.. you can see there is a color variation between Sandy's and Carolyn's. Mine has coloring like Carolyn's - much more reddish than purple.

Noreaster, your Guardian Angel is gorgeous! It looks huge and very happy where you have it.