Colour in layers
Amber, russet and copper coexist within one clump. Leaf age and light create natural differences rather than a single flat orange surface.
6
Heuchera 'Indian Summer' Orange' 12cm
Normal price
€10,00
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The legal guarantee concerns the plant’s conformity at delivery. It is not a guarantee of survival or growth for two years. Each issue is assessed taking into account the nature of the plant, its care and the conditions in which it is kept. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.
Heuchera ‘Indian Summer’ Orange
For shady corners that are tired of being… shady 😎
- Amber foliage
- Copper shades
- Bright pink undersides
- Wavy lobed leaves
Heuchera ‘Indian Summer’ Orange looks like a handful of amber unfurling into leaves, with copper shadows and warm orange highlights. Broad lobes ripple gently, revealing flashes of vivid pink beneath that make the whole composition seem illuminated from within. Its low, generous mound combines the softness of folded fabric with the glow of aged metal, bringing warmth to corners that ask for something more than another shade of green.
It does not need flowers to become the warmest point in the picture. Each leaf adds a slightly different note, from golden brown and apricot to deeper copper, while folds create delicate changes of light and shade. Beside grey stone, quiet green leaves or silver foliage, this little palette resembles late-afternoon light lingering a little longer in the garden.
What makes it special
A warm palette of sculpted leaves, with luminous upper surfaces and an unexpected pink echo wherever a margin turns.
Broad rippling lobes
Rounded leaves have clear lobes and wavy margins. Their petioles hold them at different angles, maintaining depth and volume within the low mound.
Pink on the reverse
Bright pink undersides appear where the edges lift. This genuine foliage detail makes even a small movement visually interesting.
Why you will love it: it brings warmth where green foliage dominates, with details that sustain the display well beyond a short flowering season.
In the garden & on the balconyPlacement & plant combinationsCopper foliage accent · gentle light · approximately 45cm mature spread
A warm front row
Place it near the edge of a partially shaded border or in a pot visible from a seating area. Its approximately 45cm mature spread needs a little open space so that the lobes and pink undersides remain visible. On a terrace beside a hot wall, favour morning light and a cooler afternoon position.
Copper with silver
The warm foliage reads most clearly against cooler or quieter surfaces. These companions suit cool partial shade with humus-rich, well-drained soil.
- Brunnera macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’ — broad silver leaves providing a luminous cool contrast to the copper tones.
- Dryopteris wallichiana — taller green fern fronds forming a calm, finely textured background behind the low mound.
- Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’ — narrow green leaves with pale margins; keep its spreading growth separate so that it does not cover the Heuchera.
Care at a glance
Light
Bright partial shade, with gentle morning sun where the soil stays cool. Protect the lighter foliage from scorching afternoon exposure and drying wind.
Watering
Maintain moderate, reasonably even moisture without saturation. Water when the surface dries and allow the container to drain completely.
Climate & hardiness
Cold hardiness RHS H6, approximately −20 to −15°C under in-ground growing conditions. Protect container roots from prolonged freezing.
Safety
Intended for ornamental use, not consumption. Keep leaves and growing medium away from children or pets that are inclined to chew them.
Detailed careComplete care guideEight practical points: The right shade, Moisture checks, Growing medium, Planting depth, Spring feeding, Leaves and flowers, Refreshing the clump, Signs of stress.
The right shade
Choose bright partial shade rather than a dark, permanently damp corner. Morning light brings out the copper shades, while afternoon shelter helps protect the margins in hot districts.
Moisture checks
Before watering, check whether the upper layer of soil is drying. Water enough to moisten the root ball and empty the saucer. The same container may need quite different attention during a few days of intense heat.
Growing medium
Provide fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil, preferably close to neutral. In heavy ground, improve the whole planting area; a small pocket of light compost can collect water from surrounding clay.
Planting depth
Keep the heart of the clump at the surface. A thin organic mulch around the roots moderates sudden moisture changes, but must not cover the centre from which new leaves emerge.
Spring feeding
Use a modest amount of mature compost or a gentle feed at the labelled rate. Excess fertiliser does not turn the foliage a purer orange and may encourage unnecessarily soft growth.
Leaves and flowers
Remove dead outer leaves and cut away flower stems when they finish. ‘Marmalade’ flowers mainly in late spring and early summer, while foliage remains its principal ornamental feature.
Refreshing the clump
Check in spring for ageing crowns that have risen and exposed their roots. Carefully resetting the plant at the appropriate level restores contact with the soil without burying its heart.
Signs of stress
Dry margins call for an exposure and moisture check, not automatic feeding. If the plant collapses in moist soil, examine roots for poor drainage or vine weevil larvae, and check the foliage for rust.
Development over timeA palette unfoldingYoung folded leaves, overlapping warm surfaces and renewal from the base.
Young central leaves
New petioles carry smaller leaves that open gradually. Their folds reveal flashes of bright pink beneath the warm upper tones.
A full copper mound
Leaves broaden into successive layers of amber, golden brown and copper. Delicate flower stems appear above this leafy base.
Persistence and renewal
Much of the foliage remains through mild winters. Older leaves age naturally and fresh spring growth replaces them without requiring the entire clump to be sheared.
Copper mound & dimensions
Established plantFoliage about 25cmSpread about 45cmFlower stems about 40cm
It forms a mound approximately 25cm high in foliage, 45cm wide and 40cm tall in flower. The mature habit develops over approximately 2–5 years. Leaves are carried on petioles arising from basal rosettes, forming a broad mound without a woody trunk.
Form through time
two real statesYoung unfolding leavesA full copper surface
Pink in the foldsYoung leaves open and their raised margins reveal pink undersides.
Layers of copperLeaves of different ages create a natural palette of amber and copper shades.
The two views show leaf growth and overlap, not a compulsory change of the entire plant from one uniform colour to another.
What to expect after planting: An established clump develops additional rosettes and richer layers of foliage. Do not expect every leaf to share the same orange shade at once: their different ages contribute to the characteristic palette.
History & originCultivar originMarmalade · Janet Egger · Terra Nova Nurseries · Canby, Oregon
Heuchera ‘Indian Summer’ Orange is the cultivar ‘Marmalade’, bred by Janet Egger for Terra Nova Nurseries. The story of its warm palette begins in the nursery's breeding programme in Oregon, USA.
‘Marmalade’ arose from a cross using ‘Amber Waves’ as the seed parent and ‘Huntsman’ as the pollen parent. Compared with its mother, it stood out for a larger, more vigorous mound and larger, less intensely ruffled leaves with deeper tones and more pink.
At Canby, Oregon, the selected plant was propagated by division and tissue culture. Successive generations retained its characteristics, while two-year-old plants were grown in an open-air shade house and observed both during spring growth and in late autumn.
The application was filed on 18 June 2004 and US plant patent USPP15945 was granted on 6 September 2005. The exact date of the original cross remains unknown.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScience nobody asked forBotanical details for anyone curious about what lies behind the plant’s appearance
Colour on the reverse
The lower leaf surface differs in colour from the amber upper surface. As the ruffled margins turn outwards they reveal that second face; the pink highlights do not belong to separate leaves.
Small flowers, branched clusters
Small white flowers are carried in branched inflorescences above the basal rosette. Each has five small petals and five sepals; the flowering display is made up of many individual flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Six useful answers about colour, position, flowering and the natural shape of the clump.
01Why are the leaves not all orange?
‘Marmalade’ has a natural palette ranging from amber and golden brown to copper, with pink undersides. Young and older leaves do not always share the same shade, and light influences their appearance.
02Is it suitable for deep shade?
Bright partial shade is a more reliable choice than a very dark position. Soil should remain cool but drain freely, without permanent wetness at the centre of the clump.
03How tall will it grow?
The foliage reaches approximately 25cm in height and the mound spreads to about 45cm. Flower stems add height, reaching roughly 40cm above the ground during flowering.
04When does it flower?
It flowers mainly in May and June, with local timing influenced by climate. Its delicate flowering complements the leaves rather than providing the principal reason to grow it.
05Do brown edges need more fertiliser?
Not necessarily. Check scorching sun, dry air, root-ball drying and poor drainage first. Additional feeding does not correct these causes and may increase stress.
06Will it lose all its leaves in winter?
It usually retains much of its foliage in mild conditions, although severe cold can damage older leaves. Remove only dead material and allow new spring growth to renew the clump.
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