Plant Profile Series: Heuchera ‘Canyon Duet’

by Kelly D. Norris

June is Perennial Gardening Month, deemed so by the Perennial Plant Association, the horticultural industry’s premier organization for growers, propagators, and developers of perennial plants.  This marketing campaign was designed to encourage nurseries to continue supplying, marketing, and selling perennial plants throughout the summer rather than the traditional paradigm of limiting sales to key weekends in May.  It’s no secret that I love perennials and thus it seemed fitting to pen this month’s column on one of my favorite members of the genus Heuchera.

Heucheras or coral bells have only recently become a grand phenomenon in horticulture.  Prior to the work of a few key breeders, the genus was largely represented by a minute selection of seed-produced hybrids.  Yet a special series of hybrids, bred by the late Dara Emery and introduced by the Santa Ana Botanic Gardens in the 1990s, made a small ripple in the history of Heuchera breeding.  These cultivars were part of the Canyon series and resulted from crosses of mountainous dwelling coral bells native to California and Heuchera sanguinea, the popular red-flowered coral bell.  What came of these crosses were cultivars falling into two distinct categories:  compact, alpine-sized plants and well mannered, medium-sized plants.  ‘Canyon Duet’ falls into the latter category.

My first encounter with ‘Canyon Duet’ was like that with a vivacious debutante of pop culture.  Its charmingly, airy flower stalks adorned with strawberry-pink flowers were a spectacle to behold.  The plant grows into well mannered clumps with small coin-shaped, green leaves which seem to constantly be graced with these dazzling flower stalks fit for a bouquet.  Not only does it look great in the garden amongst other perennials like bluebells (Campanula sp.) and cranesbill (Geranium sp.) but it is equally, if not more, pleasing in a container.  In the container its sprite, petite size makes it a pleasant playmate with any of the popular container bedding plants especially bacopa (Sutera grandiflora) and nemesia (Nemesia fruticans).  A desire for a creatively sharp contrast in texture might result in its pairing with some of the trailing geraniums (Pelargonium sp.).

How unfortunate it is that the Canyon series did not see much distribution on a national level and many gardeners outside of California would be hard-pressed to find this attractive bunch of coral bells.  However a few mail-order houses still carry these selections from time to time and a quick Google search will likely turn up a few you should feel comfortable ordering from.  Whether you are selecting this fine perennial for its airy flower stalks, tiny pink flowers, compact habit, container suitability, or its elegant cut flowers, Heuchera ‘Canyon Duet’ should not displease you in any way.  A fool-proof perennial, it should be as happy in well-drained garden loam as it is in sandier, drier loams much like that which its parents grow in California.  Within three to five years your neighbors, who will no doubt have found every excuse they can to come over throughout the summer to steal a peek at it, can enjoy your generosity after you’ve divided it.  Though it’s not readily available, trek out to your favorite nursery during Perennial Gardening Month and snatch up this dapper lass! GG

Kelly D Norris is a contributing editor for Garden & Greenhouse, farm manager for Rainbow Iris Farm (www.rainbowfarms.net ) and is working on his undergraduate degree in horticulture at Iowa State University. You can contact him by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and you can read his blog at http://e-gardenalmanac.blogsport.com .