Doesn’t it seem that our winter has come on all of a sudden?
Balmy fall days have given way to freezing cold mornings, and our
first frosts of the season.
Doesn’t it seem that our winter has come on all of a sudden? Balmy fall days have given way to freezing cold mornings, and our first frosts of the season.
Yet, there’s a colorful, versatile, useful evergreen shrub out there that will give you the added benefit of what your garden needs most this time of year – specifically, winter color.
We’re talking heaths and heathers. Not exactly the first thing that pops up when thinking about brightening your garden. Sure, there are plenty of winter bedding plants out there for quick spots of color. But heaths and heathers are large enough to provide a fine backdrop or even as a stand-alone attraction shrub.
These hardy plants feature a wide variety of bell-shaped or tubular pale pink, reddish purple or magenta flowers for what seems like an eternity. They’ll begin blooming in October and continue right on through May and even June. The heath and heather foliage also is not to be outdone, painting your landscape with colors ranging from pale greens and soft yellows to light shades of copper, bronze and gold. This color comes on soft, needle-like foliage.
Winter-blooming heaths are cousins of the true Scotch heathers like Calluna vulgaris. They include three groups of winter-blooming varieties and more than a dozen other summer-blooming types. All are members of the large Erica family, which also includes rhododendrons, azaleas and blueberries.
Most heaths range in size from 6-inch dwarfs to varieties several feet in height and spread. While not heavy feeders, be aware they prefer acid soil like rhododendrons and azaleas. Sandy soil with plenty of peat moss and compost is ideal, while heavy clay is usually fatal. Make sure to amend your planting hole well before planting. Also, be aware that heaths do attract bees, so do not plant close to children’s play areas or other spots where bees won’t be welcome.
Spring heath (Erica carnea) is a common variety, also known as snow heather. They are only six to nine inches high, but have a prostrating, spreading habit to about two feet. Flower colors vary from white through pink and lavender to reddish purple and magenta. Many darken with age to create a bicolor effect. Foliage ranges from golden yellow and pale green to deep or grayish green sometimes with streaks of gold.
Erica erigena is a taller variety that grows between three and 12 feet tall. Erica darleyensis is in between the two already mentioned at about two feet. Most heaths of this size offer neatly shaped bushes that remain neat and compact with little or no pruning. Many varieties have pleasing pink or cream tips of new growth in spring, with some foliage accented with bronze tones in winter.
Consider the world of heaths and heathers for a sparkling variety of color throughout our cold season.
