Native to North America, the Kira Heuchera cultivar, also known as Alum Root or Coral Bells, was developed by Danziger. Kira is an evergreen perennial with dark purple, green, and silver variegated foliage and dark pink blooms in summer. Kira Purple Rain Forest Imp has a mounding habit of 10-12" tall and 12-18" wide and performs well in part sun or full sun where the soil doesn't dry out completely. With little maintenance, this plant tolerates drought and heat, resists deer, and attracts pollinators. Coral Bells is versatile and equally well-suited to rock gardens, individual containers, landscape borders, mass plantings, and mixed containers. Bring evergreen color to the landscape by pairing Purple Rain Forest Improved with Evergreen Forest and Green Tea.
Kira Purple Rain Forest Imp Selling Tips
Sell Kira Purple Rain Forest Imp to customers looking for an evergreen perennial to bring visual interest to a rock garden, landscape border, or container. Heuchera Kira offers many benefits, from low maintenance and attractive foliage to resisting deer and attracting pollinators. This plant has a mounding habit, is drought tolerant, and does well even in clay soil. Big bright flowers bloom in summer, perennial in zone 4-9. Customers will love the colorful foliage, which provides depth, texture, and color in the garden all year. Heuchera flourishes in full sun with moderate water or part shade with low water. In a partly shady location, pair Kira Purple Rain Forest Imp with Astilbe, Bleeding Heart, Fern, Hellebore, Hosta, and Lamium. Create stunning sunny landscape beds by pairing Heuchera with Artemesia, Bugleweed, Daylily, Geranium, Iris, Lysimachia, and ornamental grass.
Coach Your Customer
1. Plant in partial shade or full sun. Only plant Heuchera in a full sun location that doesn't dry out completely.
2. Water regularly, especially during the first year as the plant establishes a root system.
3. Cut back in fall or remove damaged foliage in spring.
General Growing Tips For Your Rooted Cutting Liner
For best results with Kira Purple Rain Forest Imp, use well-drained soil in 1-gallon containers. Plant one rooted plug per container with a pH of 5.8-6.2, an EC of .9-1.0, and temperatures between 65-68 degrees. Use light feed (100-150 ppm) and moderate water. This plant doesn't require pinching, bulking, or vernalization. You may see fungal diseases, such as downy mildew, botrytis, and leaf spot. Black vine weevils may infest the roots. This plant isn't particularly prone to pests or disease.
Flowering
Dark pink flowers bloom in summer.
Pinching
This plant doesn't require pinching.
Spacing
Space plants for adequate airflow around each container and to allow the sun to penetrate to the soil level of each plant.
Height Control
This plant doesn't need PGRs.
Pests
You may find Black Vine Weevils.
Disease
Kira Purple Rain Forest Imp can be susceptible to fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew. To treat, spray the infected plants with a fungicide (including neem oil, sulfur, lime-sulfur, or potassium bicarbonate). Water at the base of each plant and space or prune plants for airflow around each container. This will also reduce humidity. Remember not to compost any infected plant as the wind can carry this fungus to healthy plants.
Also watch for root rot, stem rot, leaf spot and botrytis while the days are short. These problems are usually associated with wet or humid conditions. You can prevent them by allowing the plant to dry out between waterings, allowing for good airflow in your greenhouse, and spacing to allow the sun to penetrate to the soil level. The most common chemicals used to treat botrytis are Medallion and Banrot. Use them as a drench according to each label’s instructions.
Planting Kira Purple Rain Forest Imp Liners
We recommend planting one rooted liner per 1 gallon container. Use well-drained soil and completely bury the ellepot in the center of the container.
Rooted Cuttings
Cuttings vary in size between different plant families. These rooted starter plants will arrive ready to be transplanted in to your final container. If they are to be used in a landscape application, you will need to establish them in a 4 inch pot or an 1801 before planting outside.
Heuchera Kira Purple Rain Forest Imp Quick Reference Guide
| Bloom Period | Summer |
|---|
| Color | Dark pink |
|---|
| Habit | Mounding |
|---|
| Height | 10-12 inches |
|---|
| Light | Full Sun, Partial Shade |
|---|
| Minimum Temp | 65 |
|---|
| Perennial Zone | Zones 4-9 |
|---|
| Water Needs | Light, Moderate |
|---|
| Patented Plant | yes |
|---|
