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You can pair the purple coral bells with other plants to make your garden more aesthetically appealing. However, to avoid overwhelming the small space, you must be careful when selecting which plants to add to your purple coral bells garden.
The best things to plant with purple coral bells include Lamium, pansies, impatiens, hostas, azaleas, daylilies, lilacs, and ferns. These plants complement purple coral bells in color, height, and texture. Therefore, you get an overall garden design that is pleasing to the eye.
In the rest of this article, I’ll discuss the above eight plants you can plant with purple coral bells (Heuchera spp.). I’ll explain why these plants are worthy companions for your purple coral bells. Let’s get started!
1. Lamium
Planting Lamium is an excellent way to add some ground cover to your garden. This plant has beautiful leaves that will create a stunning contrast against the purple coral bells.
Lamium is also a great way to add texture and dimension to your garden.
It’s worth noting that coral bells and Lamium are perennial plants. Therefore it’s easy to pair these plants since they require similar growing conditions, including similar:
- Soil drainage
- Light
- Soil pH
- Water
Have a look at these seeds for Lamium Purpureum (link to Amazon) if you’re looking to plant Lamium with your purple coral bells. The packet has more than 50 seeds to cover a larger area. Moreover, the packages have germination and growing instructions to make your planting work easier.
2. Pansies
Pansies are one of the best things you can plant with purple coral bells because they come in various colors. This means you can create a custom look for your garden.
Pansies also have a very long blooming season. They can bloom from spring until fall, making them a great plant in your garden if you want continuous color throughout the growing season.
When planted together with purple coral bells, pansies serve to break the purple flowers and add some much-needed color contrast.
You should plant these plants simultaneously since they have the same growth rate. Planting them at the same time ensures you get flowers almost at the same time. Therefore, your garden displays your preferred color mix.
3. Impatiens
If you’re looking for a plant that will add height to your garden, then impatiens are a great option. These plants can reach up to 16 inches (40.64 cm) in height and produce beautiful flowers in various colors (source).
Combining impatiens with purple coral bells creates a lovely backdrop for your garden. The contrast in colors and heights between these two plants is simply stunning.
When selecting impatiens for your garden, choose a variety resistant to downy mildew, like the New Guinea impatiens. The downy mildew disease has been known to decimate impatiens populations in gardens (source).
Impatiens varieties affected by downy mildew include:
- Garden impatiens
- Native jewelweeds
- Busy Lizzies
4. Hostas
If you’re looking for a plant that will add some foliage to your garden, then hostas are a great option. These plants produce large leaves that come in different colors and textures.
Pairing hostas with purple coral bells is a great way to add interest to your garden. The contrast in colors and textures between these two plants is impressive.
Like coral bells, hostas are short plants, making them your go-to option if you’re looking for an option with a similar height. Such a combination is perfect for herbaceous garden borders and container displays.
When selecting hostas for your garden, your primary focus should be to get a variety resistant to slug damage. This is because slugs are attracted to the soft leaves of hostas.
In most cases, slugs affect hostas in moist conditions that are ideal for the growth of coral bells, particularly in hardiness zones 4 through 9. These zones are suitable for slug infestations since they have high moisture content.
Some great slug-resistant hosta varieties include:
- Hosta Wedgwood
- Hosta blue moon
- Hosta Patriot
5. Azaleas
For a pop of color, azaleas are the perfect addition to your garden. These plants have flowers with different colors, so you can mix and match them to meet your taste.
The azalea’s flowers will stand out against the foliage of the coral bells since they are such a contrast in color.
When selecting azaleas for your garden, choose a variety that thrives in your USDA zone. The Dwarf azaleas varieties are preferred since they grow in the same USDA zone ranges with coral bells.
If you decide to go with a different variety, ensure it’s also resistant to powdery mildew. Apart from discoloring the leaves, this disease stunts the plant’s growth (source).
6. Lilacs
Lilacs are the perfect addition to your garden for some fragrance. These plants have flowers with different colors, so you can mix and match them to your desired taste.
Pairing lilacs with purple coral bells is a great way to create contrast in colors and textures between these two plants.
Lilacs are tall plants, making them your go-to option if you’re looking for a taller option to break the coral bells’ short stature. Combining tall and short plant varieties in a garden is a great way to add interest and dimension.
7. Daylilies
Daylilies have bulbs with grass-like mounds that give rise to stems. These plants produce flowers with a rainbow of colors that bloom at the end of these stems.
The daylily’s flowers will stand out against the foliage of the coral bells since they are such a contrast in color. With the different colors of daylilies, you can create a custom look for your garden.
Apart from the color of their flowers, daylilies have green foliage that will add texture to your backyard when planted next to the purple coral bells.
It’s worth noting that the daylily’s flowers only last for one day, hence the name “daylily.” However, the stem remains intact and continues to produce more flowers.
8. Ferns
Ferns are a great way to add some greenery to your garden. Although they don’t produce flowers, the green nature of these plants makes them an excellent combination with the purple coral bells.
The green foliage of ferns will provide a nice contrast against the purple leaves of the coral bells.
Some great fern varieties to pair with purple coral bells include:
- Japanese painted fern
- Autumn fern
- Interrupted fern
- Walking fern
- Sensitive fern
The Japanese-painted fern is especially preferred for planting with purple coral bells since it has purple midribs. These midribs pair well with the color of coral bells.
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