North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Heuchera americana

Heuchera americana L.

american alumroot

Cultivar(s): Dale's Strain, Green Stripe

Image ID: 14797
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: HEAM6
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Heuchera americana
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-03-12

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
1359	Dale's Strain	View
1696	Green Stripe	View

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: HEUCH
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Heuchera
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Alumroot
GENUS SUMMARY: [contributed by R.A. Folk and A.S. Weakley]
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: Vegetatively, Heuchera resembles Tiarella and Mitella. Heuchera usually has leaves as wide as long and with prominent variegation, while Tiarella and Mitella usually have leaves longer than wide and lacking variegation.
GENUS REFERENCES: Folk & Freudenstein (2014); Folk & Freudenstein (2015)=X; Wells & Shipes in FNA (2009); Wells (1984)=Z; Rosendahl, Butters, & Lakela (1936)=Y; Wells (1979); Soltis in Kubitzki, Bayer, & Stevens (2007). The keys partly adapted from Wells (1984).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: SAXIFR
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Saxifragaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Saxifrage Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: If narrowly circumscribed (as here), a family of about 35 genera and 500-650 species, herbs (mianly perennial), nearly cosmopolitan, but especially diverse in warm temperate and cold temperate regions of North America and Eurasia. The circumscription of a much narrower Saxifragacaeae is clearly warranted, based on a wide variety of data, and strongly corroborated by molecular data (Morgan & Soltis 1993 and many later references).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Wells & Elvander in FNA (2009); Spongberg (1972); Morgan & Soltis (1993); Soltis in Kubitzki, Bayer, & Stevens (2007). [also see GROSSULARIACEAE, HYDRANGEACEAE, ITEACEAE, PARNASSIACEAE, and PENTHORACEAE]

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect, rosette-forming perennial of rocky forests and rock outcrops, particularly where soils are subacidic to circumneutral.
STEMS: Flowering stems arising from a basal rosette, unbranched, mostly leafless, somewhat sticky-hairy.
LEAVES: Leaves mostly basal; long-petiolate; round to oval and notched at the base; 1-4 in. long; shallowly palmately divided into 5-9 variously sized, toothed lobes; thick-textured; often white-mottled; may be smooth or hairy.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers in a narrow, loose, terminal panicle; pink to greenish-white; 1/4 in. or less long; consisting of 5 tiny petals attached to a tiny, sticky-hairy cup-shaped calyx with minute segments. There are 5 protruding stamens.
FRUITS: Fruit an oval capsule with 2 persistent styles.
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 6-10 in.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Basal
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: Apr-Aug

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
		x	x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: Pink to greenish-white

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
	x	x			x			x		x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Dry forests, Moist forests, Outcrops and glades
NATIVE RANGE: eastern North America

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Beautiful evergreen foliage gives this Southeastern native perennial long-term appeal in the garden. Rosettes of dark green leaves take on a burgundy cast in the winter. Panicles of tiny pinkish-brown bell-shaped flowers rise above its foliage in late spring. In the wild, American alumroot grows in deciduous woods and on rocky outcrops. Plant it at the front of your perennial border. Used medicinally for its astringent properties.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Well-drained
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE: 1, 4
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
28	2018-0120	2018-12-13		View
140	2010-0055	2010-11-25	141	View
402	2013-0032	2020-01-27	141	View
1308	1986-1082			View
2077	1986-1875			View
2184	1986-1996			View
2451	1986-2292			View
2889	1987-0418			View
3590	1991-0253			View
4281	1992-0437			View
4950	1995-0068			View
5127	1995-0246			View
5843	1995-0971			View
6129	1995-1260			View
6758	1996-0417			View
7167	1999-0128	1999-11-02		View
8067	2004-0075	2004-09-09		View
8606	2006-0188	2006-08-16		View
8625	2006-0213	2006-08-23		View
9152	2007-0412	2020-04-07	1908	View
9159	2007-0419	2020-04-07	1915	View

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
141	HORT	2010-11-24	Liloia	View
1378	HORT	2006-06-01	Bryan	View
1727	HORT	2005-01-01	Bryan	View
1908	HORT	2007-10-25	Stern	View
1915	HORT	2007-10-25	Stern	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
37	28	84	NCBG staff	2018-12-04	View
275	140	111	NCBG staff	2011-04-04	View
276	140	15	Heiney	2011-05-17	View
948	402	17	Wichmann	2013-06-20	View
2271	1308	84	NCBG staff	1985-11-26	View
2272	1308	98	NCBG staff	1985-11-26	View
2273	1308	81	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
3439	2077	75	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
3440	2077	79	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
3441	2077	187	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
3775	2184	52	NCBG staff	1986-12-23	View
4162	2451	27	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
4798	2889	8	NCBG staff	1978-10-01	View
5870	3590	79	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
6609	4281	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
7369	4950	202	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
7549	5127	203	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
8358	5843	204	NCBG staff	1993-01-01	View
8784	6129	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9538	6758	114	NCBG staff	1967-01-01	View
10113	7167	166	NCBG staff	1999-09-01	View
11336	8067	82	NCBG staff	2003-01-01	View
11337	8067	84	NCBG staff	2003-01-01	View
11338	8067	94	NCBG staff	2003-01-01	View
11339	8067	27	NCBG staff	2003-11-05	View
11798	8606	205	NCBG staff	2005-04-01	View
11817	8625	205	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
12120	9152	159	Stern	2007-10-25	View
12121	9152	155	Stern	2007-10-25	View
12128	9159	198	Stern	2007-10-25	View
12278	140	36	NCBG staff	2013-01-16	View
12676	0	16	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12718	0	12	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12832	0	18	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12923	0	198	MacIntyre	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: HEAM6
USDA Common Name: American Alumroot
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV), CAN (ON)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				FACU	FACU		FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Heuchera americana
COMMON NAME: American Alumroot
SYNONYMY: [= C, Pa, Va; > H. americana var. americana - F, G, WV; = H. americana var. americana - FNA, K, Mo, Z; > H. americana var. heteradenia Fernald - F; > H. americana var. subtruncata Fernald - F; > H. americana var. brevipetala Rosendahl, Butters, & Lakela - G, Y; < H. americana - RAB, W; > H. calycosa Small - S; > H. curtisii - S; > H. lancipetala Rydberg - S; > H. americana var. typica - Y; > H. americana var. calycosa (Small) Rosendahl, Butters, & Lakela - Y]
PHENOLOGY: Apr-Aug.
HABITAT: Rocky forests, rock outcrops, particularly where soils are subacidic to circumneutral.
COMMENTS: CT and NY west to s. ON, n. IN, s. IL, and sc. MO south to c. GA, c. AL, n. MS, n. LA, and ne. TX. H. americana is the most widespread species of Heuchera in e. North America. Within the range of H. caroliniana, H. americana is nearly absent. H. americana var. heteradenia may warrant recognition, and is likely the basis of some eastern records considered to be H. hirsuticaulis; further study is needed.
RANGE MAP: Heuchera americana.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Saxifragaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Saxifrage Family)
SUMMARY: If narrowly circumscribed (as here), a family of about 35 genera and 500-650 species, herbs (mianly perennial), nearly cosmopolitan, but especially diverse in warm temperate and cold temperate regions of North America and Eurasia. The circumscription of a much narrower Saxifragacaeae is clearly warranted, based on a wide variety of data, and strongly corroborated by molecular data (Morgan & Soltis 1993 and many later references).
REFERENCE: Wells & Elvander in FNA (2009); Spongberg (1972); Morgan & Soltis (1993); Soltis in Kubitzki, Bayer, & Stevens (2007). [also see GROSSULARIACEAE, HYDRANGEACEAE, ITEACEAE, PARNASSIACEAE, and PENTHORACEAE]

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Heuchera L. (Alumroot)
SUMMARY: [contributed by R.A. Folk and A.S. Weakley]
REFERENCE: Folk & Freudenstein (2014); Folk & Freudenstein (2015)=X; Wells & Shipes in FNA (2009); Wells (1984)=Z; Rosendahl, Butters, & Lakela (1936)=Y; Wells (1979); Soltis in Kubitzki, Bayer, & Stevens (2007). The keys partly adapted from Wells (1984).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Heuchera americana in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Heuchera americana in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Heuchera americana in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Heuchera americana in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Heuchera americana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Heuchera americana

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 14797 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 32160 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 32150 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 14798 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)