Plant library · Shrubs
Calluna vulgaris
Heather is a low, evergreen shrub that brings fine-textured foliage and bell-shaped flowers to the garden from late summer into fall. At roughly 18 inches tall, it stays below most border perennials and shrubs, making it useful where the planting needs year-round structure without blocking views. Its dense, spreading habit suits broad foreground planting, especially where a single low layer can carry the bed through winter.
Use heather along the front of sunny borders, beside open paths, or across a bank where its low profile can read as a continuous planted surface. It also fits rock gardens and massed plantings, where repeated plants make the scale more legible than isolated specimens. Keep it clear of spots needed for seasonal digging or frequent foot traffic; shallow roots are best left undisturbed once the plants have settled in.[1][2]
Set plants 18 inches apart, center to center, for a close-knit planting. Each plant can spread about 2 feet wide, so neighboring crowns will meet and overlap as the planting matures rather than remaining as separate mounds. Use a simple grid for a broad groundcover effect, or stagger the plants in drifts to soften the edge of a path, rock garden, or sloping bed.
Reserve a full-sun position with acidic, well-drained soil. Moderate moisture is most useful when it is consistent: allow water to move through the root zone, but do not let the planting dry hard between waterings. A dedicated acidic planting area avoids forcing heather into soil conditions that do not match its needs, and keeps its low foliage from being crowded by larger plants with different watering patterns.
The planting remains present through the year as evergreen foliage, then gains its floral display from late summer into fall. Leave enough open space around the front and sides to shear away spent flowering stems without stepping into the planting. A light annual trim keeps the mounds compact; avoid cutting deeply into old woody growth.[2][3]
Heather is less forgiving of hot, humid summer sites and of heavy, poorly drained ground. Place it where air can move around the foliage and where water will not collect after rain or irrigation. If the bed has dense clay or stays wet in winter, use a raised or sharply drained planting zone rather than setting plants into the lowest part of the garden.[1][2]
Editorial content updated 2026-07-20.