Calluna vulgaris
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- kal-LOO-nah vul-GAIR-iss
- Description
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Common heather is a evergreen flowering shrub in the heather family (Ericaceae), native to Europe and Asia Minor. The Genus name is probably from Ancient Greek kallýnō, meaning 'beautify, sweep clean', referring to their use in making brooms. The specific epithet vulgaris is Latin for 'common'.
Heather grows up to 2 feet tall and occasionally taller with a similar spread. Grow in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained sandy or rocky acidic soils. The soil should not be allowed to dry out and little fertilizer is required. Prune the shrub in early spring to prevent legginess. Heather is intolerant of heat and humidity and should not be planted south of zone 6. It has naturalized in parts of the northeast United States.
Heather will form thick mats with tiny scale-like leaves and pink to purplish flowers appear on spikes in mid to late summer. Their are many cultivars of this plant available.
Use this shrub in the border of the perennial garden or mass planted on slopes or in rock gardens.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Scale and spider mites can be problems. Stem rot occurs during hot, humid summers (like we have in the South).
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Bonita'
Grows 12-18 inch tall and 2 feet wide - 'Firefly'
Grown for dramatic seasonal foliage color changes - 'Forest Fire'
Compact form with salmon-pink flowers - 'Kinlochruel'
White flowers Received the Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. - 'Mair's Variety'
Grows 4 to 5 feet tall with white flowers - 'Marleen'
Mounding form 18 inches tall and purple flowers - 'Red Fred'
Grows 14 inchs tall and 18 inches wide with pink blooms - 'Robert Chapman'
1 to 2 feet tall, pink blooms and bronze, chartreuse, gold and red foliage - 'Wickwar Flame'
15 inches tall, 30 inches wide with mauve-pink blooms
- 'Bonita'
- 'Bonita', 'Firefly', 'Forest Fire', 'Kinlochruel', 'Mair's Variety', 'Marleen', 'Red Fred', 'Robert Chapman', 'Wickwar Flame'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Bonita'
Grows 12-18 inch tall and 2 feet wide - 'Firefly'
Grown for dramatic seasonal foliage color changes - 'Forest Fire'
Compact form with salmon-pink flowers - 'Kinlochruel'
White flowers Received the Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. - 'Mair's Variety'
Grows 4 to 5 feet tall with white flowers - 'Marleen'
Mounding form 18 inches tall and purple flowers - 'Red Fred'
Grows 14 inchs tall and 18 inches wide with pink blooms - 'Robert Chapman'
1 to 2 feet tall, pink blooms and bronze, chartreuse, gold and red foliage - 'Wickwar Flame'
15 inches tall, 30 inches wide with mauve-pink blooms
- 'Bonita'
- 'Bonita', 'Firefly', 'Forest Fire', 'Kinlochruel', 'Mair's Variety', 'Marleen', 'Red Fred', 'Robert Chapman', 'Wickwar Flame'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Calluna
- Species:
- vulgaris
- Family:
- Ericaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Plants were used to make brooms. The foliage can yield a textile dye.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eurasia
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers produce high-value nectar attracting a variety of bees.
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- poor soils
- Edibility:
- Used to make honey. Flowers and shoots used to flavor tea, beer and ale.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 4 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Ascending
- Dense
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Description:
- Produces small, hairy, four-compartmented capsules with small black seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Urn
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Rose to purplish-pink flowers are on 1"-12" one-sided spike-like raceme. They bloom from summer to fall.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Purple/Lavender
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Tiny, needle-like leaves are in groups of 4, opposite, simple, and are medium gray-green. They turn from green to bronze to purple winter color.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Riparian
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Pollinator Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Poor Soil
