Common heather is a evergreen flowering shrub in the heather family (Ericaceae), native to Europe and Asia Minor. The Genus name is probably from Ancient Greek kallýnō, meaning 'beautify, sweep clean', referring to their use in making brooms. The specific epithet vulgaris is Latin for 'common'. Heather grows up to 2 feet tall and occasionally taller with a similar spread. Grow in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained sandy or rocky acidic soils. The soil should not be allowed to dry out and little fertilizer is required. Prune the shrub in early spring to prevent legginess. Heather is intolerant of heat and humidity and should not be planted south of zone 6. It has naturalized in parts of the northeast United States. Heather will form thick mats with tiny scale-like leaves and pink to purplish flowers appear on spikes in mid to late summer. Their are many cultivars of this plant available. Use this shrub in the border of the perennial garden or mass planted on slopes or in rock gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Scale and spider mites can be problems. Stem rot occurs during hot, humid summers (like we have in the South).
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.