Red Lightning Coral Bells features dainty spikes of white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid summer. Its attractive crinkled lobed leaves emerge lime green in spring, turning gold in color with distinctive red veins and tinges of buttery yellow the rest of the year. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Red Lightning Coral Bells is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.
Red Lightning Coral Bells will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 18 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 16 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.
Red Lightning Coral Bells is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.