Purple with a pattern
Strongly coloured veins cross the reddish-purple upper surface. Their contrast gives each broad leaf a distinctive internal detail.
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Heuchera 'Indian Summer Purple' 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 Purple’
It looks at you suspiciously if you have petunias 🧐
- Rich purple colour
- Dark branching veins
- Broad lobed leaves
- Compact basal rosettes
Heuchera ‘Indian Summer Purple’ unfurls a rich palette of purple and deep red, like silk holding the final reflections of the day. Broad leaves are traced with a darker network of veins, while gently rippling margins give the compact mound a lively, sculpted outline. It draws the eye without demanding attention, connecting neighbouring colours and giving the garden the feeling of a carefully considered composition with a character of its own.
Its purple is not an impenetrable dark surface. Brighter shades appear between the veins, changing in intensity as a leaf turns, while overlapping layers create small hollows and subtle highlights. Beside quiet green foliage, pale stone or a restrained blue flowering companion, the mound gains the depth of a little botanical jewel that deserves a place within easy view.
What makes it special
Each purple leaf becomes a small map: dark veins, brighter areas between them and a gently rippling outline.
A gently wavy outline
Rounded lobes and slightly undulating margins form a soft, full mound rather than tightly ruffled ribbons.
A light second layer
Compact foliage stays close to the ground. Fine upright flower stems rise above it, carrying small flowers with white petals during summer.
Why you will love it: it offers colour with internal detail: a clear purple accent from a distance, and a network of veins, lobes and subtle reflections close up.
In the garden & on the balconyPlacement & plant combinationsLow purple foliage mound · cool partial shade · subtle blue and green contrasts
Within easy view
Place it at the front of a foliage composition, beside a path or in a pot near seating. Keep the base open and allow room for the rosettes to broaden instead of squeezing it between aggressively spreading plants. On a hot terrace, favour gentle morning light and a sheltered afternoon position.
Purple with blue
A quiet green foundation and a few blue or white flowers are enough to set off the veins. These combinations suit partially shaded, humus-rich soil with good drainage.
- Tiarella cordifolia — low green lobed leaves and airy pale flowers that echo the purple rosettes in a lighter register.
- Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’ — deep spring blue and green foliage for a clear contrast under similarly cool growing conditions.
- Hakonechloa macra — soft green blades falling like a small wave beside the broad leaf surfaces.
Care at a glance
Light
Bright partial shade or gentle sunshine in cool soil. Avoid scorching afternoon exposure in hot regions, especially when growing the plant in a small container.
Watering
Keep the soil lightly moist without standing water. Check the surface and water at root level before the growing medium dries completely.
Climate & hardiness
Mulberry (‘IFHEMUL’) has RHS H5 cold hardiness, approximately −15 to −10°C. Container roots need greater protection against prolonged freezing.
Safety
An ornamental Heuchera, not an edible plant. Discourage children and pets from chewing leaves, and wash hands after planting.
Detailed careComplete care guideEight practical points: Choosing the position, Watering the roots, Soil structure, Keep the heart open, Moderate feeding, Seasonal tidying, Winter protection, Checks and renewal.
Choosing the position
Bright partial shade reveals the leaf pattern without excessive heat stress. More sunshine is possible when the soil stays cool, but reflected heat from a wall can substantially change the conditions.
Watering the roots
Water when the surface begins to dry, moistening the root zone evenly. Check containers more often in hot or windy weather, without leaving water permanently in a saucer.
Soil structure
Choose fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil close to neutral. Roots need both available moisture and air; watering less often alone does not correct heavy, saturated ground.
Keep the heart open
When repotting, keep the point from which the leaves emerge at its previous level. Add organic mulch around the roots rather than over the heart, where accumulated wetness is undesirable.
Moderate feeding
A little mature compost in spring, or a balanced container feed at the labelled rate, generally meets its needs. Do not increase the dose to darken the foliage or correct wilting.
Seasonal tidying
Remove dead leaves and finished flower stems while retaining the healthy basal rosette. Young leaves develop at the centre, so work carefully around them.
Winter protection
It remains evergreen to semi-evergreen in mild winters. Move small pots to a sheltered outdoor position during prolonged frost and keep drainage holes clear rather than bringing the plant into a heated room.
Checks and renewal
Watch for exposed roots as an ageing crown rises, and carefully reset the plant if necessary. Sudden loosening or collapse of the whole clump calls for inspection for vine weevil larvae or other root problems.
Development over timePurple gains depthSmall new leaves, mature veined surfaces and persistence of the basal clump.
New leaves and veins
Leaves unfold near the centre, with dark veins becoming clearer as the surface expands. Closely grouped petioles maintain the compact base.
The full purple display
Mature surfaces overlap and give depth to the mound. Fine flowering stems rise from late spring into summer, with timing influenced by climate.
Cool-season renewal
Some or much of the foliage remains in mild conditions. The ageing of individual outer leaves does not mean the clump is lost; fresh growth renews it from the centre.
Purple mound & dimensions
Mature habit in 2–5 yearsHeight about 30cmSpread range 0.1–0.5mFlowers above the foliage
Mulberry (‘IFHEMUL’) forms a low foliage mound approximately 30cm high, with a mature spread range of 0.1–0.5m over 2–5 years. Slender flower stems rise above it and should not be confused with the height of the leaves. Final spread varies with site and establishment.
Form through time
two real statesSpring unfoldingA full veined rosette
The leaf opensThe small folded surface unfolds and its network of veins spreads with it.
The rosette fillsMature leaves held at different angles add depth while retaining the low outline.
The same basal architecture is shown with smaller new leaves and fully expanded foliage. Dark venation remains characteristic in both views.
What to expect after planting: A better-established root system develops first, followed by denser basal rosettes. The colour is not paint: light, temperature and leaf age naturally alter its intensity through the year.
History & originCultivar originMulberry (‘IFHEMUL’) · Jelle van den Haak · Andijk · 2013 cross
Heuchera ‘Indian Summer Purple’ is the retail name for Mulberry, formally named ‘IFHEMUL’. Its story begins in Andijk, the Netherlands, within Jelle van den Haak's programme for compact Heuchera with attractive leaves, flowers and garden performance.
Two experimental selections were crossed in June 2013: 083-09-C009 as the seed parent and C024-02 as the pollen parent. In July 2014, the breeder selected a single plant from their offspring in a controlled nursery environment in Andijk.
The selection combined a compact, evenly mounded habit with glossy purple leaves and very dark veins. From September 2016 it was propagated in Andijk by meristem tissue culture, and subsequent generations retained this combination of characteristics.
US plant patent USPP32045 was granted for ‘IFHEMUL’ on 4 August 2020, with Innoflora Plant Breeding as the original assignee. Mulberry belongs to the Indian Summer collection, where its dark vein pattern contributes a distinctive interpretation of purple foliage.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScience nobody asked forBotanical details for anyone curious about what lies behind the plant’s appearance
More than decoration
Palmate veins spread from the base of the leaf blade and branch into a finer network. Their vascular tissues transport water and the products of photosynthesis while supporting the leaf; in Mulberry, dark outlines make this functional architecture especially easy to see.
Petals and calyces
The white parts of the small flower are its petals. Greenish sepals have greyed-orange tones, so a whole inflorescence can produce a more complex colour impression than the word ‘white’ suggests.
Frequently asked questions
Six answers about venation, cold tolerance, size and the identity of the selection.
01Are the almost black veins normal?
Yes. They are characteristic of Mulberry (‘IFHEMUL’). The dark network contrasts with the reddish-purple surface and does not, by itself, indicate disease or a nutrient deficiency.
02How much cold can it tolerate?
Its cold hardiness is RHS H5, approximately −15 to −10°C. This concerns appropriate in-ground growing conditions; a small pot needs additional root protection from prolonged freezing.
03Do flower stems change the mound's height?
They temporarily rise above the foliage but do not turn the low rosette into a tall shrub. The foliage mound reaches approximately 30cm, while flowering stems extend higher.
04Can it share a small container?
Temporarily, but its root ball needs room to develop. Choose a freely draining container and keep the rosette uncovered, without neighbours that overwhelm it as they grow.
05Why has the purple changed intensity?
Light, temperature and leaf age naturally influence the shade. Check conditions if scorching or wilting occurs as well, but a simple colour change does not mean the cultivar has changed.
06How are Purple and Mulberry connected?
Purple is the retail name under which Mulberry is offered here. Its formal cultivar name is ‘IFHEMUL’, and it belongs to the Indian Summer collection.
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