Description

This little heuchera relative grows in moist shady woodlands in the northern Sierra Nevada, and in the coastal ranges from the Santa Cruz Mountains north. It forms a short mound of rounded, slightly lobed, leaves that expands slowly over time. In the spring a tall flower stem appears punctuated with tiny bell shaped flowers which are creamy white with a pink hue. As the flowers fade, thousands of tiny seeds develop in the upright “cups” (fused sepals?). With water, fringe cups may be kept green year-round. If kept dry, they will go dormant then return with the winter rains. Like many members of the saxifrage family, fringe cups make excellent potted plants.