Maple-leaved Alumroot Heuchera villosa

Hairy alumroot is a low-mounding, broadleaf evergreen, herbaceous perennial native to the eastern United States, from New York to northern Georgia. It belongs to the Saxifragaceae (Saxifrage) family and is found in moist, rich woods and rocky, wooded slopes, ledges, and cliffs. The genus is named for Johann H. von Heucher, an 18th-century German physician, botanist, and medicinal plant expert. Villosa means covered with soft hairs.

It grows best in partial shade or dappled sunlight and in moist, well-drained soil high in organic matter. Hairy alumroot is heat and humidity tolerant and, at up to 2 feet and 8 inches high by 1.5 to 2 feet wide, one of the largest alumroots. It is moderately drought tolerant, but scorching and general plant decline may occur if soil completely dries out.

In North Carolina, the flowers are available from June to October to bees and other pollinators. Deer and rabbits find this plant’s foliage unappetizing. 

This plant has many landscape uses: mass planted in a woodland or on a slope, in small groups bordering a walkway, or planted in a container. It is well suited for native, pollinator, rock, or shade gardens. 

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. 

Learn more about Heuchera spp.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.