Plant of Merit: ‘Yellow Beauty’

Published 4:02 pm Tuesday, February 10, 2015

What: Calluna vulgaris

Also known as “Yellow Beauty,” this brilliantly colored Scotch heather adds interest to a winter border. Although its spiked red summer flowers are impressive, its fall and winter tones of deep gold and red create magic during a long grey winter. A beautiful slow growing evergreen groundcover, heather attracts bees and butterflies and thrives in poor soil. In fact, too much fertilizer can ruin heather as can hard pruning. A light shaping is all that is needed after flowering. It must have good drainage so that the roots do not stand in water. A deep planting hole is advised.

Sun or shade: Heather performs well in full sun or part shade.

Size: Typically grows to 1- to 21/2-feet tall and 2 feet wide.

See it: In the Heaths and Heathers border at the WSU Snohomish County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden at Jennings Memorial Park, 6915 Armar Road, Marysville.

Source: Sandra Schumacher, Special to The Herald