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Island Alum Root
Heuchera maxima
  
About Island Alum Root (Heuchera maxima) 69 Nurseries Carry This Plant Island Alum Root (Heuchera maxima) is species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family. It is endemic to three of the eight Channel Islands of California, where it grows on cliffs. It is rare in the wild, due to its limited distribution. It is also cultivated as an attractive garden plant, valued as a groundcover for both its foliage and its flowers.

This rhizomatous perennial herb forms a broad patch of large, rounded, multi-lobed green leaves with long leaf stalks and a fringe of hairs along the edges. Its erect flower cluster can be almost 2 feet tall, with many groups of tiny, hairy flowers.

It performs best in coastal gardens, where it can take full sun to part shade. In inland gardens, it may require full shade and additional water. It looks good in woodland gardens.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
1 - 2 ft tall
2 ft wide

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Pink, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds love the flowers

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Shade, Part Shade, Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 3x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 12° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Prefers sandy/rocky soil with good drainage. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Groundcovers, Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Use with other Channel Island species such as: Trees: Island Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), Island Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii), Island Oak (Quercus tomentella) Shrubs and herbs: Island Ceanothus (Ceanothus arboreus), California Encelia (Encelia californica), St. Catherine's Lace (Eriogonum giganteum), Santa Rosa Island Sage (Salvia brandegeei), Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.), Dudleya spp., Yucca species

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Chaparral or coastal sage scrub on rocky or sandy cliffs and sea bluffs of the northern Channel Islands

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 11.7" - 29.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.15" - 2.72", Coldest Month: 37.8" - 55.6", Hottest Month: 59.0" - 70.4", Humidity: 1.36" - 15.81", Elevation: 38" - 6918"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Island Alumroot, Jill Of The Rocks, Jill-of-the-rocks


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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