With their lush clumps of ruffled leaves sand striking patterns, coral bells have become as ubiquitous as hostas; they brighten the gloomiest garden bed. From left, Bronze Wave; Spellbound and ...

This week's plant pick is coralbells 'Bronze Wave,' a colorful-leafed native perennial that was one of the highest performing coralbells in trials at Delaware's Mt. Cuba Center.

Bronze Wave would be a good choice, he said, or a variety that didn't quite make the final 10 but is a fine plant for the mid-Atlantic, Autumn Bride.

Bronze Wave: Large and statuesque, its sycamore-like leaves are bronze-green above and maroon underneath. Flowers are small and creamy white but showy in massed plantings.

These are tight, compact coral bells that feature pretty ruffled silver foliage with bronze veins, becoming greener in summer and revealing the red undersides to the leaves among the ruffles.

Coralbells are a popular perennial plant, but the choices are overwhelming. Mt. Cuba Center just completed a 3-year trial of 83 different coralbells varieties and narrowed it down to a top-10 list.

Bronze Wave: Large and statuesque, its sycamorelike leaves are bronze-green above and maroon underneath. Flowers are small and creamy white but showy in massed plantings.

With their lush clumps of ruffled leaves sand striking patterns, coral bells have become as ubiquitous as hostas; they brighten the gloomiest garden bed. From left, Bronze Wave; Spellbound and ...