This plant does best in cool part day sun or shade with moderate to only occasional summer water once established and is cold hardy to about 10 degrees F. This cultivar is one of the longer lived of the hybrid Coral Bells and with its one drought tolerant parentage this cultivar is one of the cultivars most suitable for planting in dry shade. A nice plant for a woodland garden massed as an understory or as a border edging.

Heuchera 'Opal' is a hybrid that resulted from a cross between the Alum Root, Heuchera maxima and Coral Bells, Heuchera sanguinea and from these parents it inherited the larger stature, taller inflorescences and better drought tolerance of Heuchera maxima and the larger flower size of Heuchera sanguinea. It is one of a series that also includes 'Wendy', 'Genevieve', 'Santa Ana Cardinal' and 'Susanna'. These were all bred by Dr. Lee Lenz in a breeding program that began in 1953 at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (now California Botanic Garden). 'Opal' was officially released by the garden in 1989.

In their book "Heuchera and Heucherellas: Coral Bells and Foamy Bells" Timber Press 2005 authors Dan Heims and Grahame Ware note that Linnaeus named Heuchera for Johann Heinrich von Heucher, professor of medicine and Botany at Wittenberg University and that the name Heuchera should be pronounced following this person's name that it commemorates, meaning it so be pronounced HOY-ker-uh, but like most people, we continue to pronounce it HUE-ker-ah. We grew this nice cultivar from 1994 until 1998 and only discontinued it after deciding we were confusing people by offering too many similar Heuchera cultivars. It remains however as our favorite white flowering Coral Bells. 

This information about Heuchera 'Opal' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.