Also called ling, this evergreen shrub is native to northern Europe and Asia. It is a member of the heath family, Ericaceae, that also includes rhododendron, blueberry, and cranberry. Plants are slow growing and reach up to 24″ tall and wide. Slender stems carry very small, scale like leaves that are gray to green in spring before taking on shades of red, purple, silver, and gold with maturity. In mid- to late summer, terminal, one side spike-like racemes of pink, bell-shaped flowers appear. There are hundreds of cultivars that allow for variations in flower and foliage color as well as flower fullness. Flower may be single or double and vary in color from white to pink, purple, lavender and red. Heather is a good edging plant, filler in front of shrubs, or in rock gardens, and can also be used as a ground cover. Although the plants are generally dense and compact they may become scraggly with old age. Scotch heather is not for every garden; it demands acid soil, and does not appreciate nitrogen, heat or humidity. The genus name, Calluna, comes from the Greek word kallyno καλλύνω (kallyno), meaning to sweep up, because the plant was used to make brooms. The specific epithet, vulgaris, is the Latin word meaning common.
Type: Evergreen flowering shrub
Outstanding Feature: Flowers in late summer
Form: Upright, branching, dense oval mat
Growth Rate: Slow
Bloom: Clusters of bell- or urn- shaped flowers in white, pink, purple, lavender or red, in mid to late summer
Size: 18-24” H and spreading
Light: Prefers full sun but tolerates some shade
Soil: Low fertility, moist, well-drained, pH 6 or less; does not tolerate nitrogen additions.
Hardiness: Zones 4-7
Care: Prune before growth begins in winter; deadhead after flowering
Pests and Diseases: Susceptible to rust, powdery mildew, root and crown rots, scale, weevils and spider mites.
Propagation: Seed; cultivars by cuttings; layering
Outstanding Selections:
- ‘Alba Plena’ (double white)
‘H. E. Beale’ (silvery foliage, double silvery pink flowers)
‘Spring torch’ (new growth in late winter is bright red)
‘Gold Haze’ (year round pale good shoots; white flowers).
Karen Meyers