Shrubs · My garden in Bran, Romania
Heather in my garden among the mountains
Calluna vulgaris: flowers from summer to fall
Calluna and erica look very much alike, and I grow both in my garden in Bran.
I buy them at Hornbach, but not every plant takes. The secret is planting them in early fall, while the weather is still warm, and watering them generously after planting.
The heathers that survive grow very well, both in part shade and in sunny spots. The ones in the bed with the coneflowers make it through the winter. I haven’t managed to propagate them.
Below I’ve gathered how I tell calluna and erica apart, how I plant them, and what the sources say about care and propagation. Winter heath has its own separate page.
Calluna in the coneflower bed · calluna next to the roses
Heather or heath? How I tell them apart
On a phone, swipe the table to the left.
| Feature | Heather (Calluna) | Winter heath (Erica) |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Tiny, under 1/8 inch (3 mm), in opposite pairs [5] | Larger, 3–4 around the stem [5] |
| Flowers | Small, in spikes; sometimes double [5] | Small and urn-shaped, along one side of the stem [4] |
| Bloom | Summer to fall [2] | Winter and early spring [4] |
| Soil | Acid, pH 6.5 or lower, ideally 5.5 [1] | Acid, neutral or alkaline, with plenty of organic matter [1] |
| Cold | Below -4 °F (-20 °C) [2] | Erica carnea: about -4 to 5 °F (-20 to -15 °C) [4] |
The two look very much alike and are often sold side by side. The surest sign is when they bloom: calluna flowers from summer to fall, winter heath in winter and early spring. When you buy them, the species is also printed on the label. [2, 4]
Good to know about heather
01
It grows wild in Romania too
Calluna, known in Romanian as iarbă neagră or negruș, grows wild in Romania as well, for example in the wet meadows and marshes of the Apuseni Mountains. [6]
02
Flowers that never open
On bud-blooming varieties, such as the Garden Girls series, the buds stay closed and keep their color for a long time. [3]
03
Tiny leaves
The leaves are under 1/8 inch (3 mm) and grow in opposite pairs. Heath leaves are usually larger and set 3–4 around the stem. [5]
04
Needs acid soil
Calluna needs a pH of 6.5 or lower, ideally 5.5, and light, sandy soil enriched with leaf mold or composted pine bark. [1]
05
Hardy to cold
The RHS rates it H7: hardy even in the harshest continental European winters, below -4 °F (-20 °C). [2]
And something more
Sometimes double flowers
Unlike erica, calluna sometimes has double flowers. [5]
How I plant heather
My secret is planting them in early fall, while the weather is still warm. After planting, I water them thoroughly.
Calluna wants free-draining soil with plenty of organic matter, in sun or light shade. In full sun, the foliage has its brightest colors. [1]
They’re planted deep, with the lower leaves resting on the soil. If the roots are circling the pot, they’re teased out or the root ball is scored, so they grow out into the surrounding soil. [7, 8]
Most newly planted heathers are lost because they dry out. That’s why they’re watered regularly for the whole first year; once they’re established, they’re fairly drought tolerant. [1, 7]
A layer of acidic mulch, such as composted pine bark, at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep, laid between November and February, keeps the soil acidic and moist. It’s topped up every year. [1]
If the garden soil is too alkaline, calluna can be grown in pots of ericaceous compost. There it dries out quickly and needs frequent watering, especially in summer. [1]
Care: pruning and propagation
A light trim every year keeps calluna compact and bushy. Old plants turn woody and don’t recover well from hard pruning, so after a few years it’s simpler to replace them. [1]
Pruning
In cold areas, the flowering stems are left on over winter for protection and cut back in spring. Heather World suggests cutting the long flower spikes back in February or March. [7, 8]
Propagation
I haven’t managed to propagate them. The easiest method is layering: in spring, the lower stems are pegged down into the soil and form roots in about 9–10 months. For calluna, 2-inch (5 cm) semi-ripe cuttings are taken in August–September and kept in the shade for 8–12 weeks. [1, 8]
The heather year
Calluna is a small evergreen shrub that blooms from summer to fall. Yellowing leaves can be a sign that the soil is too alkaline; an ericaceous fertilizer in late March or early April helps. [1, 2]
The calendar at a glance
On a phone, swipe the table to the left.
| When | Task | Why |
|---|---|---|
| February–March | I cut back the old flower spikes | The plant stays compact [8] |
| Spring | Layering: I peg the lower stems into the soil | The easiest way to propagate [1] |
| Summer–fall | Bloom | Bud-blooming varieties keep their color for a long time [3] |
| August–September | 2-inch (5 cm) semi-ripe cuttings | They root in 8–12 weeks [1] |
| Early fall | I plant while it’s still warm and water thoroughly | That’s how they take for me |
| November–February | Acidic mulch, at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep | Keeps the soil acidic and moist [1] |
| The whole first year | Regular watering | Drying out kills most new plants [7] |
Winter in the mountains
Calluna handles cold very well and grows wild in Romania’s mountains too. With new plants, the main thing is not letting them dry out. [2, 6, 7]
What I’ve learned in Bran
I buy my heathers at Hornbach, but not every plant takes.
I plant them in early fall, while it’s still warm, and water them thoroughly.
The ones that survive grow very well, both in part shade and in the sun. The ones in the coneflower bed make it through the winter.
I haven’t managed to propagate them.
Problems and pests
Calluna has few problems. The main disease is Phytophthora root rot, especially in warmer climates, and the main pests are rabbits and deer. [1]
Dyed heathers
Heathers with dyed flowers are sometimes sold. Heather World warns that the dye harms the plants, and the ones its author bought died within a short time. [8]
For me, calluna is the plant that, once it takes, grows just as well in the sun as in part shade.