That's way too much money for an undependable fussy plant - does extremely well for some and slowly dies away for others. They are lovely but I resist!!

I bought about 10 last year, and only 3 made it. I swore I wouldn't buy any this year. I'll take care of the 3 I have left.

I went to a nursey in East Brunswick, NJ (Ferris Farms) to pickup some OceanaGro fertilizer (similar to Milorganite). They had so many selections of Heuchera for $7.99. If you buy three, they give you another 20% off. I bought 12. The selections were excellent and the plants in one gallon containers were really nice. I will post some pictures as soon as I get home.

Personally I think they are sitting because Lowes wants $20 for them. I bet they are flying off the shelves elsewhere.

sherry

These days anything that isn't a tomato plant can sit for a long time without selling.

Yeah I doubt they are flying off the shelves but more would be sold if they were not 20.00. They are real short lived in my climate. You can only fool people so long before they catch on.

My Lowes is doing the same thing. They aren't fancy heucheras though, so I can't justify the price. I went to my local nursery and got a 4th PWs Blackberry Ice instead for the same price. My 3 from last year have doubled in size.

Are Heucheras really so short lived??

"These days anything that isn't a tomato plant can sit for a long time without selling."

Not in my area!! I visit my local nursery several times a week due to my business association with it, often scouting plants for design clients. If I see something I like and don't purchase it right then or put a hold on it, it will inevitably be gone the next time I visit. And this applies to any perennials, shrubs or trees.....annuals and most edibles are restocked weekly whereas the other plants may be restocked or not, depending on the plant and the vendor it is sourced from.

I can't believe how fast they go through stock.......including all heucheras. The box stores in my area seldom have anything of value for sale. They simply can't compete (thankfully) with the large independent nurseries/garden centers. And that is not the case everywhere!!

"Are Heucheras really so short lived??"

hl_60,

It depends on your weather. Some that are for sale are not breed to handle every climate. It is trial and error. Risking 20 bucks is high for a test. Some can handle heat and some can handle cold. They are all pretty but not all are equal as a perennial in every climate.

It being May and it having just been Mother's Day weekend garden centers are of course the busiest they will be all year. If there were no sales of decorative plants at all, they would stop buying and presenting them. Nevertheless it is tomato plants that so many shoppers can be seen walking around with at garden centers and plant sales. Even during the last gasp(s) of Florabundance - long the biggest plant geek event of the year in Seattle - it was the tomato plant specialist that had people crowded around their racks. Quite visibly more so than anybody else.

There is nothing like a fresh tomato off the vine in a salad or on a sandwich. I have not planted tomatoes in three years. I just leave a few on the vine and they plant themselves, I now get tomatoes earlier and I do nothing but enjoy the fruit of MY NOT labor. LOL

My local Lowes had a table full for $9.98 for gallon plants. All of the 'Watermelon' sold. They still have 20 or more 'Black Olive' sitting there a month later.

The only lower priced Hercs at Lowes was Purple palace and another I cannot remember but it was purple. They were 6.98 those were selling. 'Watermelon' sounds like it would be pretty. The pics I found on google look like a pale Georgia peach.

Home Depot has a table full of various Carnival series ones for $4.98 in quart pots. Those seem to be slowly selling. I'm not buying any more until I verify that the Villosa and Americana hybrids I've bought in the last couple of years are hardy here. They are too expensive to be annuals.

I have found Heuchera pretty hardy in my 6b zone. I have lost Paris, Fire Alarm, and Paprika but I now have 30 different Heuchera and love them as companion plants for Hosta.