I've grown this heuchera for many years, in different spots in my (Zone 9b, south SF Bay Area) garden. I have two observations about it:
1. This heuchera is very sensitive to sun and really needs to be in a full shade situation, or else filtered shade with very little sunlight. If it is not protected, as soon as the weather gets warm enough, it will fry.
2. I love heuchera and have tried growing many cultivars, but my garden is infested with rabbits and they seem to like most heuchera (and also the two tiarella that I have tried growing). The rabbits have had ample opportunity to devour this cultivar, but it seems that they don't like the taste very much. Young plants might get sampled (but never stripped), and the rabbits totally ignore the bigger plants. (When I refer to rabbits eating the heuchera, that means the entire plant, foliage and flowers both. Don't believe what you read about rabbits eating the flowers only - not true! Here they will happily eat most heucheras down to the hard core/stem - but not this one.)
I wasn't interested in this plant for a long time, because the flowers are small and green and not that showy. But I saw this in a friend's yard, and there were all these bees with bright orange on them. It turns out they were sweat bees collecting orange pollen on their legs. So last year I decided to get the plant for the bees. The leaves are lovely, even though they don't have the fancy patterns of coral bells.
Although this plant looks very similar to 'Snow Angel,' it has proved to be much hardier in my Chicago area, zone 5a, garden. I tried growing Snow Angel twice and both times it did not make it through the winter. In contrast, 'Snow Fire' has so far survived more than 5 years in the ground. It will be interesting to see whether it comes back this spring (2016) We've had wildly fluctuating temperatures with little or no snow cover. Not a good combination for the shallow-rooted heuchera.
This was a surprise I planted last year. I bought quite a few natives but could not remember all the names at the time. It was fun learning what they all were. This grew well in our exposed clay subsoil after we had some construction done. The flowers are quite small, but interesting if you take the time to look at them. The seeds are so small they are dispersed by wind.
Came true from seed for me, and grew into a healthy 6- to 8-inch clump of saturated, variegated purple-gray-green outdoors the first year from indoor sowing in February. It was in a deck rail planter but I think I'll move it to the shade border this year.
Aside from the attractive foliage, both in terms of color gradations and patterns, another interesting aspect of Heucheras is the actual overall appearance of the plant in different seasons. Just as the chameleon will change color based on background, so too the Heuchera will change (often much more than just color) based on the season.
Sometimes this can make it difficult to identify a specific plant. Just look at all of the wonderful photos posted on this page by ATP members. And they are all of the same plant growing under different conditions and photographed in different seasons.
Coral Bells (Heuchera) 'Kira Green Tea' is an uncommon but beautiful Heuchera cultivar. It has chartreuse leaves and produces long stalks of pink blossoms that are so thick they look almost like astilbe. The blooms last from late spring well into summer. The color of the 'Kira Green Tea' foliage does not decline and degrade like those of most Heucheras, but tends to stay an attractive lime green the entire growing season. 'Kira Green Tea' does well in morning sun in medium to moist soil.
Foliage makes it stand out in the shade, and the changing colors spring through fall are a real treat. Seems to be a little more hardy than other heucheras, which seem to be a bit fragile after transplant, but this variety just started putting out new growth right away.
Photos do not do this plant justice. It's much nicer than normally shown, as Goldfinch4 noted - it has interesting coloration to the individual leaves. Mine grows well in rich/humusy soil with supplemental watering (but not irrigated) and mid-day sun in zn 5.
This variety is one of my favorites. It brightens up any shady area like a ray of sunshine. Petite size works well towards the front of the border. Moderate to fast grower for me in zn 5 - rich/humusy soil with supplemental watering (not irrigated). Easy divider. I have only grown this plant in nearly to full shade, because the coloration lends itself so well as a beacon of light, so I can't say how it would perform with more sun.
Frosted Violet has interesting fuzzy stems. I've grown it on the N/W corner of my house where it got full afternoon sun, and was subjected to (rich, but) hot, dry soil. Last year I moved it to full shade in rich/humusy soil and it has done just as well. Quite dark, but interesting in combination with other, lighter leaved heucheras. Performs well in zn. 5. Worth having in the garden.
I will "3rd" the above comments - this variety is by far the best peach coral bell I have grown. Fast growing, undemanding, divides easily. Thrives in part sun in my zn 5 garden, with occasional supplemental watering (not irrigated) and rich soil, and has for years. I'm adding more of them. A 5 Star plant for sure!
I have had this variety planted on the north/west side of my house where it gets HOT later-in-the-afternoon temperatures in the summer for over 3 years. It also goes quite dry, as this area is not irrigated, though the soil is rich. It is planted along a walkway, so it is subjected to extreme heat and cold (zn 5), and does not bat an eye. The photos which have been posted are quite nice, though I wonder if the coloration varies with location, as mine does not develop the silver marbling. I think this variety would look best planted in close quarters with light colored neighbors (greys/blues), or in a spot that brings out the silver coloring.
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