<i>Heuchera </i>plant named ‘Black Forest Cake’

Abstract

A new and distinct Heuchera plant named is provided herein, characterized by dark chocolate brown leaf color, medium large leaves held on fairly short petioles, dark pink-red flowers on upright flowering stems, excellent performance in sun or shade, a medium, tall mounding habit with an excellent crown count, and excellent vigor.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a 10 month old Heuchera ‘Black Forest Cake’ in a one gallon container, grown outside in Canby, Oreg.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a one gallon container of Heuchera ‘Black Forest Cake’ grown in a greenhouse setting.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

(3) The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivar based on observations taken in September of an eight-month-old specimen growing in a one-gallon pot in partial shade in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to an average of 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5.sup.th edition, 2007. Plant: Form.—Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial. Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9. Size.—35 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground, 45 cm from ground to top. of flowers, 40 cm wide. Number of crowns.—About 8. Habit.—Large, mounding. Vigor.—Excellent. Leaf: Type.—Simple. Arrangement.—Rosette. Shape.—Orbicular to ovate. Number.—About 89. Blade size.—Grows to 11 cm long and 11.5 cm wide. Venation.—Palmate. Lobing/division.—Palmately lobed with 6 main lobes with secondary lobes. Undulation.—Moderate. Glossiness.—Medium. Margins.—Broadly crenate. Apex.—Mucronulate. Base.—Cordate, overlapping at sinus. Surface texture.—Sparsely glandular-puberulent on both sides. Leaf rugosity.—Medium. Petiole description.—Grows to 16.5 cm long and 3 mm wide, glandular hairs, 187B. Leaf color.—New leaves, topside closest to black 203B. Inflorescence: Size.—Grows to 5 cm wide and 9.5 cm long. Type.—Upright thyrse. Number of flowers per thyrse.—About 37. Flower density.—Medium to dense. Number of thyrse.—Up to 30. Peduncle.—Grows to 30 cm long and 4 mm wide at base, glandular hairs, Greyed Purple N186C. Flowering stem attitude.—Upright. Pedicel.—Grows to 3 mm long, with glandular hairs, N186D. Bloom period.—Late June through September in Canby, Oreg. Flower bud: Size.—4 mm wide and 3 mm long. Description.—Glandular-puberulent, ovoid, facing outward. Color.—Red Purple 61B. Flower: Type.—Perfect. Shape.—Campanulate. Attitude.—Outward, slightly downward-facing. Size.—5 mm long and 9 mm wide. Corolla description.—Campanulate, 2 mm long and 1 mm wide; 5 lobes each 1 mm wide and 2 mm long, oblong in shape, back side glandular-puberulent, glabrous inside, tip obtuse, margin entire, outside color Red-Purple 61C on both sides. Calyx description.—Campanulate, 3 mm long and 2 mm wide, spatulate, margins entire, tip acute, glandular-puberulent on back side, glabrous inside, Red-Purple 60D on both sides, darkening to Red-Purple 60A at apex. Stamen description.—5 in number, filaments 1.5 mm long, Red-Purple 65C, anthers 0.5 mm long, Greyed-Orange 169B, pollen plentiful, Greyed-Orange N67B. Pistil description.—1, 2-beaked, 4 mm long and 2 mm wide, Red Purple 69A overall, ovary 2 mm long and 2 mm wide, style 2 mm long. Lastingness.—Each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the plant. Fruit: Type.—Two-beaked ovoid capsule. Fertility.—Moderate. Color.—Greyed Brown 199A. Seed: Shape.—Linear. Size.—2 mm long. Color.—Black 202A. Pest and disease tolerance: The new cultivar is typical to the genus. No known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have been found in Canby, Oreg.