Heucheras (pronounced: HOY-kerr-uh incidentally, although generally mispronounced!) of the type widely cultivated in this country are woodland-edge plants in the wild. I've seen them growing wild in various parts of the west-coast of the USA where they were always in dappled shade.

Having said that, if you keep them moist at the root, then they are both tough and adaptable in cultivation, and the coloured-leaf varieties like your two require a good amount of light to maintain their leaf-colours, although an extremely sunny site might also cause leaf-scorch.

So then semi shade should be the best way. Thank you Ilex.

Follow what labels say if still available. I have mine in pots so I have more control over them. They have never done well in the ground in my garden. There are so many lovely leafed ones available now I like to see them easily and move them about if need be. At a woodland edge, as the sun swings round, they would have a variety of light conditions during a day.

Thats interesting ilex as I had always pronounced it as 'who-shh-er-ra' until I read a book that said it was 'who-ker-ra'. I wish I had studied Latin now but I took german in stead.

as for the original question why not pm Vicky 1 she has a nursery [plantagogo] that specialises in said plant. she exhibits at Chelsea too, so she clearly knows her stuff.

I have put two photo's of my heucheras on Jonathan I think you will see the difference :)

Seaburngirl - well, as I said, you're not alone!

It's pronounced HOY-kerr-uh because it's named after Johann von Heucher, and the Latinised plant name has to follow the pronunciation of the original name that is commemorates.... unless there is a long established convention of mis-pronouncing the name as there is in Fuchsia for instance which should really be pronounced FOOKS-ee-uh....but that's another story.

Also "CH" is always pronounced as a hard "K" sound in Latin. :)