Calluna vulgaris: planting, care and overwintering

The best time to plant Calluna vulgaris is in late summer or autumn. Ideally, choose a sunny to slightly semi-shaded area of your garden. Heather prefers sandy but humus-rich soil, as good water drainage is important for the plant; it does not tolerate waterlogging and dense soil well. On top of this, the soil needs to be acidic. If you have a rather loamy soil, you can alter it to create ideal heather growing conditions. Sand provides a looser structure to the soil. Acidic soil – such as our peat-reduced Plantura Organic Ericaceous Compost – loosens the soil and simultaneously ensures the right pH value for growing conditions best suited for your heather plants. Peat is indeed an ideal basis for many bog plants as it provides a lower pH value and protects against drying out, however, as it is also a valuable finite resource, it is best to opt for a more sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative.

heather

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Also known as: Calluna vulgaris, Scotch heather, ling

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heather, (Calluna vulgaris), low evergreen shrub of the heath family (Ericaceae), widespread in western Europe and Asia, North America, and Greenland. It is the chief vegetation on many wastelands of northern and western Europe. The young juicy shoots and the seeds of heather are the principal food of the red grouse (Lagopus scoticus), and ripe seeds of heather are eaten by many other species of birds.

Scotch heather has purple stems, shoots with small close leaves, and feathery spikes of pink bell-shaped flowers. In sheltered places it grows to 0.9 metre (3 feet) or more, but on arid slopes it frequently rises only a few centimetres above the ground. The plant is distinguished from true heaths (Erica species), which are sometimes loosely called heather, by the lobes of its calyx (the collective sepals), which conceal the petals; in true heaths the petals are longer than the calyx.

Heather has a number of economic uses. Large stems are made into brooms, shorter ones are tied into bundles that serve as brushes, and long trailing shoots are woven into baskets. The plant has also been used for bedding. With the peat about its roots, it serves as an effective fuel. The huts of Scottish Highlanders were formerly made of heather and heath stems cemented with peat mud mixed with dry grass or straw. Today temporary sheds are often built in a similar way and roofed with heather.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.

Calluna vulgaris: planting, care and overwintering

It was through my love of plants that I came to study plant biotechnology. In everyday life, I deal with plants in all of my surroundings – be it in the garden, in my home or for my master thesis. They are a constant source of joy for me!

Favorite fruit: Currants
Favorite vegetable: Broccoli

The heather blanketed moorlands of Britain are an iconic sight when they bloom in late summer. These hardy heather plants, also known as ling plants, calluna heather or simply common heather, are loved by insects too. Find out how to plant and care for Calluna vulgaris in your garden here.

Calluna vulgaris is easy to care for and extremely popular with gardeners and beneficial insects alike. It is a low-growing plant that is also well suited as a ground cover. This article explains how to plant, care for and overwinter heather plants.

• Calluna vulgaris: flowering time and characteristics
• The most beautiful heather varieties
• Planting Calluna vulgaris: when, where and how
• Calluna vulgaris care
  • Watering and fertilising
  • Pruning heather

  Calluna vulgaris: flowering time and characteristics

  The following table provides a brief overview of the perennial heather flower.

  Origin	Northern and Central Europe
  Growth Habit	Evergreen dwarf shrub, upright habit
  Growth Height	Between 30 and 50 cm
  Flowering Time	August to November, depending on variety
  Flower Colour	Mostly pink to light violet, but there are also white varieties
  Leaf Shape	Narrow needle-shaped leaves, scale-like along the shoot

  

  The terms ling heather, bud blooming heather and winter-flowering heather are often used synonymously. But strictly speaking, this is not quite correct:

  • What is the difference between ling heather and bud blooming heather? Bud blooming heathers are varieties of ling heather that never open their flowers completely, but instead only let the colourful petals peek out. This ensures that the flowers are not pollinated and therefore last longer. Examples of bud blooming heathers are those in the “Garden Girls Series” as well as the “Beauty Ladies”, although these are not varieties but rather brand names of breeders.
  • The difference between winter-flowering heather and ling heather: Winter-flowering heather (Erica carnea) and ling heather belong to different genera, but both are part of the heather family (Ericaceae). Read our article on the winter-flowering heather to find out more.

  Is heather bee friendly?

  Calluna vulgaris is very bee-friendly and the nectar in the flowers is easily accessible. Insects such as bees and bumblebees as well as butterflies are often found feeding on the valuable food source of heather flowers. Only the bud blooming heathers described above and double varieties of Calluna vulgaris, for example ‘Annabell’, are not suitable for bee flower meadows.

  

  The most beautiful heather varieties

  You can find many different types of heather in garden centres. We have listed some of the best varieties of Calluna vulgaris below.

  

  • Calluna vulgaris ‘Carmen’: The double, purple flowers bloom in August and September in their long flower shoots, to which the dark green leaves provide a beautiful contrast. They can grow to a height of between 30 and 40cm.
  • Calluna vulgaris ‘Darkness’: This variety has purple flowers on dense flower stems that bloom from August to October. ‘Darkness’ is relatively small with a height of 30 to 40cm. The leaves on the dense shoots are light green.
  • Calluna vulgaris ‘Firefly’: The leaves of this variety are pretty special. First appearing brown-yellow in autumn, they turn bright orange in winter. The flowers are dark pink and bloom from August to September. It reaches a maximum height of 45 to 50cm.
  • Calluna vulgaris ‘Jana’: The heather ‘Jana’ variety is characterised by a compact growth habit and a late flowering time. The pink to red double flowers appear from September to November. This type of heather has light green leaves and grows between 20 and 30cm tall.
  • Calluna vulgaris ‘Kinlochruel’: This heather variety has green leaves and its double white flowers bloom between August and October. At 30cm, it is also a relatively small variety.

  Planting Calluna vulgaris: when, where and how

  The best time to plant Calluna vulgaris is in late summer or autumn. Ideally, choose a sunny to slightly semi-shaded area of your garden. Heather prefers sandy but humus-rich soil, as good water drainage is important for the plant; it does not tolerate waterlogging and dense soil well. On top of this, the soil needs to be acidic. If you have a rather loamy soil, you can alter it to create ideal heather growing conditions. Sand provides a looser structure to the soil. Acidic soil – such as our peat-reduced Plantura Organic Ericaceous Compost – loosens the soil and simultaneously ensures the right pH value for growing conditions best suited for your heather plants. Peat is indeed an ideal basis for many bog plants as it provides a lower pH value and protects against drying out, however, as it is also a valuable finite resource, it is best to opt for a more sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative.

  

  • Perfect for acid-loving plants such as hydrangeas, rhododendrons, blueberry bushes, azaleas and more
  • Ensures all-round healthy plants with lush blooms and aromatic berries
  • Peat-reduced and organic soil: CO₂-saving composition

  Calluna vulgaris makes an excellent ground cover when planted with a spacing of around 20cm. Especially when planted in groups, heather plants will grow well and form a beautiful carpet of flowers. We do not really recommend planting heather individually as it can no longer act as a ground cover and you lose this beautiful effect. They are also much more sensitive to frost when planted individually.

  Tip: Before planting, it is important to loosen the root ball of the heather plant with your hands to allow the roots to grow into the new soil. Keep the soil moderately dry to moist and avoid waterlogging at all costs.

  

  Potted heather: Heather can also be grown on terraces, patios and balconies. A sunny spot is ideal for this. Mix two thirds of acidic soil with about a third crushed expanded clay or some perlite so that there is sufficient drainage. If the soil in the pot is completely dry, a quick water bath can be helpful. To do this, simply submerge the pot into water until no air bubbles rise. When planting heather in pots, it is important to consider how many plants you want to have beforehand. Here, too, it is essential to maintain the planting distance so that you can continue to enjoy your heather plants year after year. Depending on the number of plants, choose a sufficiently large planter to ensure the heather has plenty of space for its roots. The soil should always be kept moderately moist.

  

  Calluna vulgaris care

  Calluna vulgaris is very hardy and easy to care for. To ensure healthy and beautiful growth, there are a few little things to bear in mind when caring for it.

  Watering and fertilising

  Calluna vulgaris likes moist soil, so regular watering is essential. Lime-free rainwater is particularly suitable for this.

  We also recommend fertilising heather in spring to promote healthy growth. As the plants prefer acidic soil, a specially adapted fertiliser works best. For healthy growth, calluna heather requires extra nitrogen and potassium. With its special nutrient balance, our Plantura Hydrangea Food meets these requirements. This fertiliser is also suitable for growing heather in pots.