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Heuchera 'Indian Summer' Black 12cm

Name: Heuchera 'Indian Summer' Black 12cm
Brand: Greenleaf Garden Center
SKU: HeuchInblack12cm
Price: 8.0 EUR
Availability: OutOfStock

€10,00

€8,00

Quantity

Foliage perennial · Saxifragaceae · near-black ruffled rosettes

Heuchera ‘Indian Summer’ Black

Serious foliage for serious compositions🖤

Family: Saxifragaceae · Pot diameter: 12cm · Height: 25cm

Near-black foliage
Ruffled leaf margins
Rosy-purple undersides
Dense low mound

Heuchera ‘Indian Summer’ Black brings the depth of a precious dark fabric to the garden, gathered into broad leaves with gently playful folds. As their margins curl upwards, rosy-purple undersides appear and small highlights travel across the almost black surface. The dense mound looks composed from a distance and captivating close up, giving the surrounding green foliage greater depth, definition and that quiet sense of luxury which needs very little explanation.

It is the dark ink that makes neighbouring colours appear clearer. Beside silver foliage, pale golden lines or a light-coloured pot, its near-black leaves acquire presence without weighing down the composition. Rounded lobes soften the seriousness of the colour, introducing the subtle movement of carefully arranged pleats that reveal a different detail each time you walk past.

What makes it special

Its character lies in the contrast between the dark upper surface, the warm purple colour beneath and the sculpted outline of each leaf.

Deeply coloured surfaces

Mature leaves are dark mahogany to almost black, with a glossy surface. Small reflections lend depth to the dense foliage rather than flattening it.

Folds with contrast

Ruffled, scalloped margins expose rosy-purple undersides. Each leaf reads as a three-dimensional surface, not a flat black disc.

A leafy basal mound

Numerous leaves develop in basal rosettes and build a dense clump. Fine summer flower stems rise above this lower foliage layer.

Why you will love it: it provides clear contrast and lasting character, with leaves worth looking at even when the garden is not in flower.

In the garden & on the balconyPlacement & plant combinationsDark foliage foundation · bright partial shade · allow about 50cm for the mound

Planting position

A dark focal point

Place it towards the front of a cool border or in a container near a seating area. Allow approximately 50cm for its mature spread so that the outer rosettes remain visible beneath taller neighbours. Gentle morning sun followed by afternoon shelter is particularly useful on hot, reflective balconies.

Colour & compatibility

Black with gold

Set the dark leaves against a few clean, luminous contrasts, choosing companions that also appreciate humus-rich soil, even moisture and partial shade.

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ — arching gold-and-green blades that fall softly beside the broad dark rosettes.
Hosta ‘June’ — light leaf centres and cool margins for a calm contrast, positioned so that the Heuchera remains visible.
Polystichum setiferum — finely divided green fern fronds behind the mound, sharing its preference for cool partial shade.

Care at a glance

Light

Bright partial shade or gentle morning sun. ‘Black Pearl’ accepts more sun in cool, moist soil, but shelter it from intense afternoon exposure during hot weather.

Watering

Water when the surface starts to dry, before the entire root ball becomes dry. Excess water must drain freely from the container.

Climate & hardiness

Cold hardy, with a growing range of USDA zones 4–9. An established plant's hardiness in the ground does not give exposed roots in a small container the same protection.

Safety

An ornamental plant, not a food crop. Discourage children and pets from chewing its leaves, and wash hands after handling the growing medium.

Detailed careComplete care guideEight practical points: Light, Watering, Soil and planting, Gentle feeding, Tidying, Winter containers, Checking the crown, Pests and health.

Light

Choose an east-facing position or light dappled shade. Where a wall or paving reflects strong heat, protect the leaves during the hottest hours even if the plant is already accustomed to sunshine.

Watering

Check the soil with a finger and water at root level when the surface starts to dry. Adjust frequency to heat and container size rather than following a fixed weekly schedule.

Soil and planting

Use fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. Keep the centre of the clump level with the soil surface and do not bury it beneath heavy growing medium.

Gentle feeding

A little mature compost around the roots in spring is usually sufficient in the ground. In containers, apply a balanced fertiliser at the labelled rate rather than increasing the dose to intensify the black colour.

Tidying

Remove dead or badly damaged outer leaves close to their bases and cut away finished flower stems. Do not shear all the healthy foliage or damage the young leaves at the centre.

Winter containers

Much of the foliage remains in mild conditions. Protect the pot from prolonged freezing and make sure rainfall does not collect in a saucer; water needs an escape route in winter too.

Checking the crown

The crown may rise above soil level as the plant ages. Check it in spring and carefully reset the plant at the appropriate depth if roots become exposed, without covering its heart.

Pests and health

Sudden wilting in moist soil calls for a root check, including inspection for vine weevil larvae. Remove affected leaves and avoid a permanently damp, congested growing environment.

Development over timeFrom folded leaf to rosetteNew leaves at the centre, a fuller mature mound and a light summer flowering layer.

Spring unfolding

Young leaves emerge folded near the centre. As they open, their rounded lobes and purple lower surfaces gradually become visible.

Dark summer relief

Broad leaves overlap to fill the mound. In midsummer, white flowers with pink calyces add a light second layer above the foliage.

The quiet cool season

The leaves remain decorative through mild winters, although cold may damage older foliage. Fresh spring growth renews the display.

Foliage mound & dimensions

Established plant

Foliage 20–25cmSpread 45–50cmFlower stems 45–50cm

It forms a foliage mound approximately 20–25cm high and 45–50cm wide. Flower stems reach roughly 45–50cm above the ground. The low mound consists of petioles and broad ruffled leaves, not a trunk carrying a rounded woody crown.

Form through time

two real states

Young folded leavesFully expanded rosettes

New unfoldingFolds open and the outline of each lobe gradually becomes visible.

Mature textureBroad dark leaves fill the low mound in overlapping layers.

The two views show development of the same foliage: smaller unfolding leaves followed by mature overlapping rosettes, with glimpses of their purple undersides.

What to expect after planting: Root establishment comes first after planting. New rosettes fill out the clump without turning it into a woody shrub; density and colour naturally vary with leaf age and growing conditions.

History & originCultivar originBlack Pearl · Hans Hansen · Zeeland, Michigan · 2013 cross

Heuchera ‘Indian Summer’ Black is the cultivar ‘Black Pearl’, bred by Hans Hansen for Walters Gardens. Its story begins in Zeeland, Michigan, within his plant selection programme.

On 11 April 2013, Hansen carried out a controlled cross between two experimental hybrids: female selection 12-317-04 and male selection 11-29-01. Evaluation of their offspring produced a selection combining dense growth with unusually dark, ruffled foliage and warm purple undersides.

Propagation by cuttings began in 2014. Trials followed, including a comparative growing trial in Ontario during summer 2017, where its characteristics were assessed alongside other selections.

US plant patent USPP29395 was granted on 12 June 2018. ‘Black Pearl’ belongs to the Walters Gardens PRIMO® series.

Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScience nobody asked forBotanical details for anyone curious about what lies behind the plant’s appearance

Black without black chlorophyll

In very dark leaves, anthocyanins coexist with chlorophyll and alter the light reaching the eye, producing deep purple to near-black effects. A dark surface does not mean that photosynthesis is absent: chloroplasts continue to function behind the striking colour.

Two colours in one leaf

Ruffling changes the angle of the leaf surface and reveals parts of its rosy-purple underside. Movement or a new viewpoint therefore changes the visible mixture of colours without the pigment itself having changed at that moment.

Frequently asked questions

Six answers about black foliage, light, mature size and maintaining a dense clump.

01Are the leaves truly black?

They appear almost black, but closer inspection reveals deep mahogany and purple tones. Leaf age, illumination and reflected light influence the depth of colour you see.

02Can it grow in sunshine?

It retains its dark colour in sun. During hot spells, however, afternoon shelter and careful attention to the root zone remain sensible, especially in a small container.

03How much room should I allow?

Allow approximately 45–50cm for the established clump. Foliage remains about 20–25cm high, while summer flower stems reach roughly 45–50cm above the ground.

04Why does a turning leaf look pink?

Its lower surface is naturally rosy purple. Ruffled margins frequently bring this surface into view, creating small warm contrasts against the dark upper foliage.

05Should I remove all the leaves in winter?

No. Retain healthy leaves and remove only dead or badly damaged foliage. Keep the heart of the clump intact so that new growth can renew the display naturally.

06Why has it wilted in moist soil?

Adding more water is not automatically the answer. Check drainage and examine roots for decay or vine weevil larvae, particularly if the collapse was sudden.

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Heuchera 'Indian Summer' Black 12cm

Heuchera 'Indian Summer' Black 12cm

Heuchera ‘Indian Summer’ Black

What makes it special

Deeply coloured surfaces

Folds with contrast

A leafy basal mound

A dark focal point

Black with gold

Care at a glance

Light

Watering

Climate & hardiness

Safety

Light

Watering

Soil and planting

Gentle feeding

Tidying

Winter containers

Checking the crown

Pests and health

Spring unfolding

Dark summer relief

The quiet cool season

Foliage mound & dimensions

Form through time

Black without black chlorophyll

Two colours in one leaf

Frequently asked questions

Heuchera 'Indian Summer' Black 12cm — Care & Tips

We take care of the packaging!

With specially designed boxes, we ensure that the plants will reach you intact, no matter what they encounter on the way!

All plants in 3L pots or larger are placed in individual boxes that secure the plant at the base of the pot, preventing it from tipping over.

The cardboard used for the boxes is specially made to provide resistance to potential impacts during transport.

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