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Plant care

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' (Coral Bells 'Raspberry Ice') care

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice'

Also called Coral Bells 'Raspberry Ice', Alumroot 'Raspberry Ice'.

RHS H6USDA 4-9Pet-safeIndoor 25-35 cm tall

Watering rhythm

7-10days

When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days in the growing season

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Light

Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)

Soil

Humus-rich, free-draining loam

Humidity

40-60%

Temp

5-25°C

Pet safety

Pet-safe

Mature size

25-35 cm tall

Care at a glance

Light

Picture the indirect light an east-facing window gives mid-morning — that's the brightness heuchera 'raspberry ice' grows fastest in. Partial shade produces the best bicolour effect — the silver-grey centre and raspberry margins are most vivid in dappled light. Morning sun enhances the pink pigmentation in the leaf margins; intense afternoon sun bleaches both tones and stresses the plant. 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 is dry, roughly every 7-10 days in the growing season for heuchera 'raspberry ice', 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. Water at the base of the plant consistently through spring and summer. Avoid saturating the soil for extended periods. In container plantings, check moisture more frequently during warm weather. Reduce watering significantly in winter.

Soil and pot

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' grows best in humus-rich, free-draining loam. Incorporate organic matter and ensure free drainage. Clay soils must be amended with grit and compost before planting. A slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.0-7.0 is ideal. Container mixes should include added perlite to prevent waterlogging around the crown. 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

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' sits happiest at around 40-60% humidity and 5-25°C (41-77°F). Adapts to average outdoor humidity without issue. Good air circulation around the foliage is beneficial in shaded, sheltered positions where fungal problems can develop. No additional humidity is needed in indoor or patio container settings. If you keep the room above 5 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 heuchera 'raspberry ice' sparingly. Apply a balanced granular fertiliser in early spring at the recommended rate. A dilute balanced liquid feed in early summer sustains flowering. The raspberry pigmentation in the leaf margins intensifies naturally in cool temperatures and is diminished by high-nitrogen feeding. 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 heuchera 'raspberry ice' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Crown rot — Overwatering or poor drainage causes rapid crown decay; always plant in free-draining conditions with the crown at soil level.
  • Vine weevil — Characteristic notched leaf margins from adults and root destruction from larvae; preventive nematode treatment in late summer is effective.
  • Raspberry margin fading — The pink leaf margins can fade to green in deep shade; ensure at least 1-2 hours of morning sun for best bicolour effect.
  • Botrytis — Grey mould can colonise crowded or damaged foliage in cool, damp conditions; remove dead or affected leaves promptly and improve airflow.
  • Frost heave — Freezing and thawing can lift the shallow crown; firm back into the soil after thaw events and apply light mulch around (not over) the crown.

Companion plants

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' pairs well with Hosta, Astilbe, Ferns, and Ajuga. 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 early autumn. Select healthy outer crowns with established roots, cutting away the old woody central crown. Replant at the correct depth in refreshed amended soil and water well to establish. 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

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' is pet-safe. Heuchera is listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. The genus contains no documented compounds harmful to pets at normal exposure levels. 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.

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice'?

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' is most commonly called Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice', but it is also known as Coral Bells 'Raspberry Ice', Alumroot 'Raspberry Ice'. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' apply identically to anything sold as Coral Bells 'Raspberry Ice'.

How much light does heuchera 'raspberry ice' need?

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' grows best in medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window). Partial shade produces the best bicolour effect — the silver-grey centre and raspberry margins are most vivid in dappled light. Morning sun enhances the pink pigmentation in the leaf margins; intense afternoon sun bleaches both tones and stresses the plant.

How often should I water heuchera 'raspberry ice'?

Water heuchera 'raspberry ice' when the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days in the growing season. Water at the base of the plant consistently through spring and summer. Avoid saturating the soil for extended periods. In container plantings, check moisture more frequently during warm weather. Reduce watering significantly in winter. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is heuchera 'raspberry ice' toxic to cats and dogs?

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' is pet-safe. Heuchera is listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. The genus contains no documented compounds harmful to pets at normal exposure levels.

What USDA hardiness zone does heuchera 'raspberry ice' grow in?

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' is rated for USDA zone 4-9 and RHS hardiness H6. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of heuchera 'raspberry ice' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' qualifies for 11 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 flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
  • 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 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.
  • Browse all 30 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' is also commonly called Coral Bells 'Raspberry Ice' or Alumroot 'Raspberry Ice'.