In my yard (and I live in zone 2b) I have ...

Brandon Pinks,
Dale's Strain
Velvet Night
a yellow one (no name)
Palace Purple
Ruby Mist

I have tried a few others but found that they just barely survive (for example Chocolate Veil).

But I have lots of clumps of Brandon Pinks and find that they are the ones that do the best.

Brenda

I suppose technically, I'm in zone 2b as well, but I'm in zone denial and call it zone 3 ;^)

I have heuchera 'Splendens' that is doing the best for me. I've had that one for about 3 winters now. I've also had 'Pewter Veil' for awhile and it struggles terribly, so it may be leaving soon. Last year I planted 'Pink Lipstick' and 'Peppermint Spice' so I'll see how well they fair this spring.

Btw, in the Brandon area, where Brenda and I are from, we do get fairly good snow cover most years.

Brenda, I'm going to have pick up a Brandon Pink as yours look so great all the time!

Laurie

The species, Heuchera sanguinea, is evergreen for me in zone 2b/3a. I believe it would be the most hardy of them all, but I don't know that for sure.

I have a couple of 'Palace Purple' too, but I don't remember if I have had them over a winter yet.

I vote for the plain species of H. sanguinea, as well as any of the sanguinea cultivars such as Brandon Pink, Red Spangles, Splendens, Snow Storm and Northern Fire.
H. richardsonii is an Alberta native which is very hardy too.

Sharon

I have Heuchera sanguinea as well and have had it for several years now. It almost always does well and is evergreen for me. 'Dale's Strain' is also evergreen. I've only had it for about three years now. Two falls ago, i planted 'Silver Scrolls'. It made it through last year's zone 5 winter but didn't grow a lot over the summer. It's really pretty, so fingers crossed that it comes back again.

Btw, i'm also in zone denial! :)

Hey Marcia, I also have Dale's Strain. Not sure how hardy it is but I started them from seed in 2005 and they survived one winter (though as you point out, it was a mild winter). Now I only have to give them a better spot in the garden and they might grow. Nothing grows under the apple tree.

A few years ago I had some purple type of heuchera. It survived a couple of years before dying out. I am sure good snowcover helps alot.

One thing for sure, there sure are alot of neat looking ones available, a good variety of leaf colors.
Glen

I was talking to the new owner of Patmore Nurseries here in Brandon the other day. He said he is ordering in a lot more new varieties of heuchera for this spring than was usually carried by Patmore's. I think I will definitely be checking his selection.

Laurie, this spring...maybe I could see if one of the Brandon Pinks is large enough to split. Come on over for a visit in May or early June and we will work out the exchange details then, okay?

Brenda

That sounds great Brenda. I'll have to be on the look out at Patmore's for some of the ones that Sharon had mentioned too.

Glen, i have some heuchera seed that i'm going to try this year. Was it easy to start from seed? I'll probable winter sow it. 'Dale's Strain' was a plant. I bought it because there's a guy named Dale on another gardening forum i go to. A couple of other guys there had fun with the name! LOL

I also had 'Palace Purple' (or is it 'Purple Palace'?). Whatever, it didn't survive the first winter.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and for very helpful suggestions! :-) If you know any other bone hardy plants with showy foliage we'd love to hear about them!

I know the wild forms of Anthriscus sylvestris 'Rawenswing' and Plantago major 'Rubrifolia' can take zone 1/2, but have any of you tried the cultivars? Do Hostas survive in zone 2?

I'll have to plant a Plantago major 'Rubrifolia' for curiosity now ;)

Yes, hostas do very well here.

Sharon

Thanks again! I'll ask my friend to take pictures of the display garden when it's done if you'd like to see the result, the fair is in April :-)

Please do post the pictures Milo, I'd love to see them. If you want to know what else we can grow in our less than tropical zones, check out our gallery. You may be surprised. ;^)