Seedlings from 'Dale's Strain':

'Carnival Black Olive' seedlings:

Color again varies from green to brown to red. Some streaking, which is a bit surprising since the parent doesn't have much streaking.

Most of these are 'Brownies' seedlings but there are 2-3 'Dale's Strain' seedlings in there too:

Half the tray is seedlings from 'Carnival Black Olive and the other half is 'Carnival Silver Streak'

Mostly Oakleaf hydrangea seedlings from 'Ruby Slippers'. Seedlings came up profusely from the dried flowers. The reused 2 liter soda bottles are winter sown 'Dale's Strain':

Seedlings from 'Dale's Strain' that came up on their own last year that I then potted:

Lots of variation in the streaking and misting in these. About 20 of these are going to my mom's house tomorrow.

One last shot:

It's a bit hard to see but almost all of the small green specks are baby Heuchera that self-seeded. A lot of them won't survive but I'll leave them in place for a bit before digging up the promising ones and tossing the others.

Next winter with the more colorful Heuchera, I will likely sow the seeds in trays to germinate them. Once they germinate, I'll transfer individual plants to 2" pots to grow under lights.

If I do any more 'Dale's Strain', it will be winter sown in reused soda bottles. I have too many seedlings from that to justify growing more under lights.

Do Dales Strain grow true (are the same variety as the parent) from seeds? Or is this a fun experiment to see if any are pretty?

They don't grow exactly the same as the parent. That said, every 'Dale's Strain' seedling I've ever grown has had some variegation. Some are more deeply variegated and some are less. They're all basically free so why not?

Also, based on the variability of the 'Dale's Strain' plants I've seen for sale at the big box stores, I'm pretty sure what they sell is also grown from seed.

Whitewater, Sure why not. They are nice companion plants and that's a great way grow your own. I'm a compulsive spreadsheet maker and like to know I've categorized plants correctly. So, easy enough, if I gathered seeds, to just mark seedling on spreadsheet. I just like to know.

I've given up on the beautiful Heuchera Hybrids. Lost too many at $12-15 a pop.

These were all seedlings from my original 'Dale's Strain' plants a few years ago:

More:

And a few more:

These are in the backyard where they have to survive our 2 dogs. Great to put plants back there that don't cost much money.

whitewatervol..such pretty heucheras..I get Palace Purple volunteers..here's some in my path..along with hostas, hellebores and an astilbe..

I've never had much luck with Palace Purple - it just seems to melt away in the summer. Glad it does well for you.

I was weeding this evening and found little Heucheras sprouting in the front yard that are 15 feet away from the closest Heuchera plant.

Palace Purple is the best one I've had..I have a green with some red (no ID tag) that's still alive..when it fills out I'll post a pic..Key Lime Pie, Creme Brulee and Plum Pudding all died..

I've lost count of the Heuchera that I've killed in one way or another. I've had them dry out and die in August. I've had them mysteriously melt away in the heat even when watered (in hindsight, that may be a sign of beetle grub damage). I've had them get root rot if too wet in the winter and die.

I've had oriental beetle swarms eat all the leaves off (that has happened to several plants the last 2 years - they seem to prefer the expensive ones). Now that I know when those beetles show up (early June - feed at night), I should be ready to greet them in the evenings with a jar of soapy water. I'm also planning to treat the lawn with grub treatment this year in early July and again in early August to try to knock down their numbers. According to literature, adult oriental beetles aren't voracious feeders - the ones in my yard forgot to read the literature. They ate lots of plants before I discovered and identified them and then started removing them. They are like Japanese Beetles but a bit smaller with different coloration and they show up 2-3 weeks earlier in the season. They feed at night (peak activity around 9 PM) so I didn't see them at first until I started checking the yard multiple times per day to find what was eating my plants.

gardening is challenging isn't it?..but we keep fighting..

Lol "they didn't read the literature". I worked with a woman who typed pretty fast. Got a part time job and was paid a penny a word to write articles from repairing a carburetor to raising goats. Didn't know a thing about any of it, she just cut & paste sentences from other articles.

Well, I have tiny cotyledon sprouts on my mixed Heuchera seeds sown in Feb (winter sow method in milk jug) finally. The adults have bulked up nicely this spring and shot up bloom stalks.

Whitewater, Very nice pictures. Thx

I know this is an old post, but hope Cathy sees it :)
The slugs ate the young plants referenced in 2018. However, I started again this spring and kept them inside till they were sizable and slugs did not get them. Here's a community pot showing the variation in the seed strain (Metallica). Considering that I have 5 pots with this many in each, I suspect heuchera clumps are in my future, versus separating out individual plants.

I shared with my DH that it made me feel good to know people are still posting here. I've moved into my mom's house and have only one plant. I bought it this year. It's Purple Palace. All of my seeds are probably no good by now because they are in a back room lost in a storage box. I'll have some seeds from the PP this year. Dbarron your seedlings are beautiful. Did they all come from the same mother plant?

They were strain 'Metallica' from Plant World Seeds..so I really have no idea, but doubt it.

Seems like most people have migrated to FB instead of here. This seedling is around 3 years old from carnival silver streak.

All the ones in this bed are also seedlings from 3 years ago. I don't really buy heuchera much anymore since they are easy to grow from seed.

This bed has seedlings from last year. I'll eventually have to move some when they get bigger.

Yes, I didn't realize how easily they grew from seed till this year...and though the same thing...I bet I've paid $100 for far less plants (of heuchera) than this one batch of seedlings.

I like the brighter colors. I'm afraid yo put my Hostas in the ground so I can add the heuchera with them. If I put them in the ground then I want more color than green. Whitewatervol, what do you use as mulch. Very nice Heuchera .

Hello! I am new to the Forum & do not know what I am doing! I just had the good fortune to discover Heucheras & they are amazing. I came across some seeds & was wondering if I could plant seeds now, under grow lights in my Florida room through the winter so the plants will be larger when the time comes to plant them outside? I am in zone 8 sc. All of the seedlings in this post are awesome!

Welcome to the forum!! I think they would be very large by next spring. Be careful. A little bit of seeds can bring many many plants. Just plant a little bit for now and experiment.

Anyone else still here?

Does anyone have extra seeds? Whitewatervol? Dbarron?

I bought seed, I don't typically collect seed :)

ÑCathy Cokley thanks for your response, I will do just as you suggest. I guess I am maybe a bit excited and eager to get started, patience is not my virtue..

Cathy, rains having finally arrived again, I planted probably 30 to 50 heuchera out this prior evening (in five community pots). I won't need any more coral bells for a few years, but thank you for showing yours which inspired me. Oh yeah, now that I have enough to cross pollinate well, I *could* maybe collect seeds for myself next time I get the itch. My 'Georgia Peach' would be a good parent.

Since you guys are still here, thought I'd ask... Do any of you have any heuchera/heucherella/tiarella that are carefree in the sense of surviving on their own without any pest control? Or is there no such thing? My astilbe and most of the sedums are untouched by deer, rabbits, and slugs, but I'm sick of the hosta being attacked by everything out there. Hoping that there are some heuchs that can take their place (without needing to be sprayed etc.), but probably wishful thinking.

Mine are never attacked by pest (other than rabbits and that's something in the pest's brain...they target one plant (not necessarily a heuchera) and attack it till it's gone) (I've had aloe, geranium, heuchera and tiarella, hellebore, and callirhoe be the target). I say it's something in the brain, because they pick one plant and don't bother others near it...weirdest thing.

This year was the callirhoe, last year was a tiarella, the year before the hellebore, the year before that the aloe, etc. In all fairness, they're all still alive..but they were repeatedly razed to the ground and are much smaller than they were.

I have 6 Dolce Blackberry Ice Heuchera. They're great. I have rabbits and squirrels, and they leave my Heuchera alone except sometimes the rabbits eat the Heuchera flowers but leave the leaves alone.

I've had these for 4yrs (started with 3 then divided them over time).

I do see holes in some of the leaves towards Summer's end, but nothing concerning.

I had Fire Alarm (died first year) and Berry Smoothie (rabbits decimated it).

Maybe the leaf texture of the Dolce is unappealing to rabbits?

dbarron, that is interesting! At least your rabbits focus on one plant...our deer mow all the hosta down (only started doing it a couple of years ago...for some reason used to leave our yard alone, but definitely not anymore!).

hl_60, of course Berry Smoothie is one of the ones I would love to get! That pink color is my fav. I'd much prefer the pink or bright red colors, but bright green or orange would work too. The darker / purplish plants tend to fade into our black mulch, and of course it sounds like those are the more "resistant" ones!

I got my first Heucherella this Fall (Solar Eclipse) just to try one out, and don't have my hopes up too high, but we'll see!

Ok, I just have to post an update. I don't believe I've lost any of the seedlings I grew...which is a monumental improvement over buying potted grown plants. This wasn't a great year (hot and very very dry), but they all made it through. I think the water-logged spring was harder on them really.

Pictures?

No, like I said...it's been a hard year. They're there, but not at all spectacular.

I'm happy to know you still have them. I may plant some th his year.

Seedlings planted last year are doing well.

Well I bought some more seeds from Jellito this fall, so I should be starting another couple of pots (community pots) soon.

I don't expect to get plants representative of their graphics (attached), but it could happen.

These things are easy to grow if you pay attention and transplant as needed.

I think I will order some (variety pack) and start some this year also. I need some color in a Hosta garden I will be starting next year.