Culture
Best grown in humusy, organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Performs well in full sun in the north, but prefers some shade (particularly in the heat of the afternoon) in the south. In the St. Louis area, best foliage color may occur in sunny spots with some part afternoon shade. Scorch and general foliage decline may occur if soils are allowed to dry out. If grown in full sun, consistent moisture is particularly important. Remove stems of faded flowers to encourage additional bloom. Foliage is essentially evergreen in warm winter climates, but the amount of retained foliage color in cold winter climates such as St. Louis depends in large part upon the severity of the temperatures. In cold winter climates, a winter mulch applied after the ground freezes will help prevent root heaving.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Heuchera cylindrica, commonly called poker heuchera or roundleaf alumroot, is native to rocky woods, cliffs, ledges, slopes and subalpine meadows in northwestern North America from British Columbia and Alberta south to Northern California, Northern Nevada and Colorado. It is a mounding perennial that features ovate to broadly heart-shaped, leathery, usually hairy, maple-like, dark green leaves (to 3" wide) with toothed and scalloped margins. Leaves typically form a compact basal mound to 6” tall and to 12” wide. Small, cup-shaped, cream to yellowish green flowers, densely packed in spike-like panicles to 6" long, bloom from late spring to summer atop tall, slender, leafless flowering stems rising well above the foliage mound to 20-30” tall. This heuchera is commonly called poker heuchera in reference to its poker-like spikes of creamy flowers. It is also commonly called roundleaf alumroot in reference to its rounded leaves.
Genus name honors Johann Heinrich von Heucher (1677-1747), physician, botanist and medicinal plant expert at Wittenberg University, Germany.
Specific epithet means long and round, cylindrical.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Frost heaving of roots may occur when winter temperatures fluctuate widely.
Uses
Foliage has good accent value. Mass or plant in groups. Rock gardens, borders and open woodland gardens.