It may be small but heather, or Calluna vulgaris, makes sure it’s noticed. This bushy little shrub, which won’t grow much bigger than 50cm, and will be covered in cheerful cerise pink flowers from July right through to December. It will add a cheerful hit to the front of a flowerbed or look lovely in a pot with taller plants.
For the happiest plant and the most flowers, plant it somewhere sunny and keep the soil moist. It will also be just fine in light shade and will cope with some drought, although it may flower less. Calluna vulgaris doesn’t need a lot of upkeep. Once it’s finished flowering, trim off faded growth so it can be replaced with fresh new growth next year. That’s about it.
If you're not planting your heather out into the garden, you can simply pop the nursery pot (the plastic pot that your it comes in) into a decorative pot. We recommend planting it out directly into it's decorative pot though - as long as it has drainage holes at the bottom. This will give it more room to grow and you will need to water it less. It's really important that you use ericaceous (more acidic) compost when planting your heather up. Regular multi-purpose compost won't have the right pH and you'll find your plants starting to look sick over time. Be sure to repot it every couple of years to give it a fresh boost of nutrients - there's only so much soil in a pot, and a growing plant will use up that goodness quickly.
You’ll see relatives of this plant growing wild in mountainous regions, particularly in Scotland. That should give you a good idea of just how tough this little plant is.
Did you know?
Heather is considered lucky and often placed in bridal bouquets. The more you plant the luckier that will make you, surely?
Easy care
Pollinator friendly
Autumn colour
A sunny spot
Moist soil
Feeding
