Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' (Lime Rickey Coral Bells) care

Light

Picture the indirect light an east-facing window gives mid-morning — that's the brightness coral bells 'lime rickey' grows fastest in. Partial to light shade works best; the pale lime-green colouring can bleach out in strong direct sun. Morning sun with afternoon shade suits this cultivar in most climates. Very deep shade reduces both leaf brightness and flower production. You'll know it's right when new leaves come out the same size and colour as the established ones. Smaller, paler new leaves = move closer to the window.

Watering

Aim for when the top 2-3 cm of soil feels dry, roughly every 5-7 days during active growth for coral bells 'lime rickey', but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Even moisture produces the best foliage. Light-coloured Heuchera cultivars are slightly more prone to stress-related browning when drought occurs. Avoid overwatering and do not allow water to pool around the crown. Reduce in late autumn and winter.

Soil and pot

Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' grows best in well-draining, fertile loam enriched with compost. A humus-rich, slightly acidic to neutral soil at pH 6.0–7.0 supports steady growth. Amend clay soils with grit and compost. In containers, use a peat-free mix blended with perlite to provide both nutrition and drainage. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' sits happiest at around 40-60% humidity and -15-28°C (5-82°F). Average garden humidity is entirely adequate. Good air movement around the crown is beneficial and reduces fungal disease risk. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed coral bells 'lime rickey' sparingly. Apply a balanced granular fertiliser in spring as growth resumes. Avoid heavy nitrogen applications which promote rank green growth and diminish the characteristic pale lime colouring. A light compost mulch in autumn supports winter hardiness. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on coral bells 'lime rickey' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Crown rot — Ensure the crown is never buried or surrounded by wet mulch; excellent drainage is the key preventive.
• Bleaching — Lime-green leaves can wash out to near-white and then scorch in direct afternoon sun; move to a shadier position.
• Vine weevil — Larvae attack roots and cause sudden wilt; apply nematodes in late summer while soil is still warm.
• Slugs — Ruffled foliage traps moisture and is especially attractive to slugs; use controls and clear debris from around the crown.
• Powdery mildew — A white powdery coating appears in dry, warm spells; maintain soil moisture and improve airflow.

Companion plants

Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' pairs well with Heuchera 'Obsidian', Hosta 'Halcyon', Astilbe, and Tiarella cordifolia. These are species with similar light and water needs, so you can group them in the same room or on the same shelf and water as a batch.

Propagation

Divide clumps every 3-4 years in early spring or autumn. Remove and replant healthy outer sections, discarding old central crowns. Leaf-bud cuttings are viable in spring. Named cultivars will not come true from seed. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' is pet-safe. Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' is not listed as toxic by the ASPCA. The Heuchera genus is broadly considered non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of coral bells 'lime rickey' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common coral bells 'lime rickey' problems & fixes
• Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' watering schedule
• Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' light requirements
• Best soil mix for coral bells 'lime rickey'
• Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' fertilizing guide
• When to repot coral bells 'lime rickey'
• How to propagate coral bells 'lime rickey'
• How to prune coral bells 'lime rickey'
• What's eating my coral bells 'lime rickey'?
• Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' growth rate & size
• Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' cold hardiness
• Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' temperature & humidity
• Is coral bells 'lime rickey' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is coral bells 'lime rickey' toxic to cats?
• Is coral bells 'lime rickey' toxic to dogs?
• All 56 Heuchera varieties
• Getting coral bells 'lime rickey' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' qualifies for 16 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best pet-safe low-light plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs AND happy with no direct sun — the two hardest constraints to satisfy at once.
• Best plants for cold, dark rooms — Houseplants that cope with BOTH low light and a cool, unheated room — the hardest indoor spot to fill. Every pick tolerates a low of about 10°C and shade.
• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
• Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
• Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Best pet-safe bedroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in lower light — calming greenery for a bedroom where a pet often sleeps too.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Best small pet-safe plants — Compact, tabletop houseplants that are also ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe greenery for a desk or shelf.
• Browse all 30 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Coral Bells 'Lime Rickey' is also known as Lime Rickey Coral Bells, Ruffled Coral Bells, and Alumroot.

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