As you read the title above, I am curious what comes to your mind. Could it be Irish or Scotch Moss? Maybe haggis or scotch eggs versus corned beef or colcannon (a funky Irish cabbage dish)? Did you think of Jameson, Bushmills or Tulamore Dew Irish Whiskey? Or is it a bit peatier Glenmorangie, Johnny Walker, or Macallan Scotch Whiskey you prefer? Guinness or a true Scottish Ale? Perhaps this article will double as a kind of quasi-social experiment to some degree. Speaking as a proud member of the Cameron clan, I tend to lean Scottish myself. But having said that, the Irish are wonderful people as well, and if I was not adopted (as a wee lad) I would have been born a McGruder – straight Irish indeed – from my birthmother. So does that mean I can go Scottish and Irish? Both love golf, so the Golfing Gardener in me is good to go there… Apologies, I digress. In all seriousness I am talking plants here, not food or drink or golf, and for our discussion this week it is Irish and Scotch Heathers and Heaths that are top of my mind.
Fall has officially begun, a great time to talk Heaths and Heathers and how to cultivate them in our landscapes. For us locally, we have a number of both Erica and Calluna cultivars to choose from, all wonderfully resilient plants from (you guessed it) the heathlands of the British Isles and similar climes throughout Europe. While there are some 850 distinct species of Erica worldwide, I find it fascinating that there is but one singular specie of Scotch Heather, Calluna vulgaris. If we consider the myriads of flavors of each of these species, a vast array of choices are out there to match any gardener’s fancy. Plant them on sunny slopes in mass or along borders for structure, in rockeries for color or even fill up that parking strip with something durable like Heaths and Heathers.
I must make this statement; please do not be a “Heather hater”. I cannot tell you how many gardeners avoid these low-maintenance shrubs simply because of a past gardening mistake or from seeing them struggling in a commercial landscape. Surely these plants were simply not sited or cared for properly. Heathers love acidic, well–drained soil and they mature well with some garden neglect. Once established they are drought tolerant, and honestly should only be really touched once a year to prune them. This to me is the reason some gardeners have banned these plants from their gardens – they never pruned them or when they did it was not done quite right.
Because both Erica and Calluna specimens are evergreen, we should be careful not to cut them back too far. Plants like these are perfect examples of my “prune after bloom” rule, so depending on what season your variety flowers in will dictate the proper time to prune. For me the vast majority should be tidied up coming out of winter; a light shearing just below the spent flowers, but never into bare wood. They will flush out new growth and set flower buds, while maintaining a dense, compact and attractive habit. Cutting down to bare wood will leave bare patches, and never pruning may create what I call the “donut” look over time – a nice healthy perimeter thick with foliage and flower, but a center that is woody and bare. This is what I hear from “Heather haters” far too often, so prune them lightly and you will enjoy them much more!
Utilizing a good organic transplant food at planting time will help them get settled in. I doubt that you will need to fertilize them much after that, except maybe an annual dose each spring of an organic granular food. Water them when young, then as time goes by and they become established, less and less will be needed – even over the drier summer months. Mulching always helps as well, but be careful not to bury the crown or branches when doing so. Lift up the skirt of your Heather and carefully feather the mulch under the perimeter. Varieties of Calluna bloom (white/pink/red or purple) over the summer and then the foliage on many turn vibrant shades of gold, red, and/or orange over colder winter months. Typical plants stay under 2-feet tall and wide. Flowers of Erica can be white, pink, red or purple in color (depending on cultivar). Some bloom in summer (Heathers), while others bloom over the winter to spring months (Heaths). Most will stay under 18-inches tall and some will be less than a foot in height. All are very pollinator friendly, especially the winter bloomers as they will help provide for our early local bees. Both Erica and Calluna have nice texture and foliage, and if you want to tell them apart this old botanical prose may help, “Heathers have feathers and Heath have teeth.” Simple and very true, but neither will bite… I promise!
This is far too short a space to go into all of the wonderful Heathers that we have to choose from locally, so my focus this week is about fall/winter/spring flowering (in the case of Erica varieties) and vibrant winter foliage color (with flavors of Calluna). Here are a few I would be sure to look up and consider planting…
Kramer’s Rote Heath: By far the most popular Erica variety for us here in the nursery. They display deep pinkish-purple blooms from October through March.
Mediterranean Heaths: The common types come in pastel pink or white and are often mixed together for multi-colored display from winter into early spring.
Springwood Heaths: These stay lower in height (almost like a groundcover) and come in both pink and white options that bloom winter into early spring.
Mary Helen Heath: Another pink winter bloomer, but this one adds some sweet golden foliage all year long for added landscape impact.
‘Irish Lemon’ and ‘Irish Orange’ Heather: These are all about spring with striking tips of foliage color and then summer bloom.
Scotch Heathers (Calluna vulgaris) for winter: Some truly outstanding foliage options are available like ‘Firefly’, ‘Winter Chocolate’, ‘Blazeaway’, ‘Wickwar Flame’, ‘Dart’s Flamboyant’, ‘Lime Glade’ and many others. All will add some pop to landscapes and even container gardens with their bright feathery foliage, and then bloom nicely over the summer months.
Scotch Heathers (Calluna vulgaris) for spring: Come springtime, some of the brightest foliage emerges from flavors like ‘Spring Torch’, ‘Spring Cream’ and ‘Easter Bonfire.’ They are quite striking, followed by more bold summer flower power.
A visit to the local garden center this fall will allow you to view these simple and useful plants. Ask a Certified Professional Horticulturist for advice and allow them to help you select the best Heaths and Heathers for your garden. Grab a few, as they always look nice planted in mass, providing some serious impact for sunny garden locales. When you consider their flower power, exquisite texture, foliage color, and ease of cultivation, Heaths and Heathers are simply hard to beat.
Remember, leaves up and roots down…
Trevor Cameron is a Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) and serves as General Manager for Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville, WA. He can be reached at sunnysidenursery@msn.com.
