Heather Care

Heather is a relatively low-maintenance plant, assuming it’s planted in the right spot.

Light

Heather blooms best in full sun in zones 4 and 5.

In zone 6, it will appreciate afternoon shade.

Soil

Heather requires well-drained soil and does well in sandy soils or rocky terrain.

It thrives in peaty, more acidic bogs and moorlands.

It does not need fertile soil, it can thrive in poor soils and can tolerate salt spray.

Water

Water the plants faithfully when young.

This plant requires one inch of water per week.

Once established, heather has average water needs in zone 4 but will require more irrigation in warmer zones.

Temperature and Humidity

Heather likes a climate that is moist and cool.

It cannot tolerate high temperatures and humidity in the southern United States.

Added any later, it will spur growth during the winter when the plant should be dormant.

Excessive fertilization tends to cause leggy, spindly branches.

Height varies by cultivar.

Pruning

Prune heather in early spring to encourage faster growth.

Mature heather tends to become leggy, so pruning will keep it more compact, bushy, and attractive.

Propagating Heather

Heather grown from seed will not reproduce true to the parent plant.

Mimic these conditions to spur germination in the spring or fall.

Although it should not be too shallow, heather does not need a deep planter.

It does well in clay pots.

Overwintering

Heather is a hardy plant.

However, in zone 4 or northward, protect potted heathers by insulating the plant.

Smaller pots can be taken indoors and grown under grow light or near a window with indirect sunlight.

Powdery mildew does not kill heather, but this fungal disease can mar its appearance.

It takes the form of a dusty-looking covering on a plant’s foliage.

To prevent powdery mildew, avoid overhead watering.

Prune faithfully every spring to keep plants compact, thereby improving airflow.

If powdery mildew affects your heather,use an off-the-shelf fungicide or a baking soda solution.

Waterlogged soil is usually the culprit behind root rot, especially ifPhytophthorafungus is present.

Bloom Months

Different varieties of heather flowers bloom from late July to November in the northern hemisphere.

What Do Heather Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Heather has an herbaceous aroma with a light floral tone mixed with a heavy musky scent.

Heather needs at least six hours of sun a day.

Break off a single stem of the plant.

Usually, sudden death in the middle of the growing season is a sign of root rot.

If the plant still has signs of life, it might have drainage issues.

Pull it up and inspect the root system.

If the roots have turned dark brown or black, cut away the rot using sterilized scissors.

Leggy Stems

Heathers thrive in poor soil.

To prevent or reverse legginess, stop giving fertilizer and place the plant in a sunnier spot.

you might also trim the leggy stems in spring or early fall to encourage healthy growth.

Carefully inspect the plant, overturning the leaves.

Mites are hard to see.

But, you might notice red or yellow dots or some webbing.

Otherwise, use insecticidal soap or horticultural oil all over the plant.

Check for small, hard oval-shaped bumps on the stems.

These bumps may be scale insects that can cause leaf drop and distorted leaves.

Scale insects can be picked off, and horticultural oil and insecticidal soap can also help control scale infestations.

Heather shrubs tolerate poor, rocky soil and even salt spray, making them good for coastal hillsides.

Heather’s botanical nameCallunaderives from the Greek, “kallunein,” meaning to cleanse.

Heather was traditionally harvested for use in making brooms.

No, fortunately, heather is toxic to neither people nor animals.

Global Invasive Species Database.

Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.

Heather Diseases.University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program.