About Scotch Heather

Scotch heather is an evergreen shrub from Europe, often used in ornamental landscaping. The height and spread varies from 1 to 3 feet, with 2 feet being the average. The plant flowers are crimson, pink, purple and white. The foliage ranges from silver, yellow and gray to various greens that take on a bronze, orange, reddish or silver cast in winter. Traditionally, Scotch heather was valued as a good luck charm and for several utilitarian and medicinal uses.

History

Find Scotch heather under the genus Calluna, from the Greek word kallunein, meaning to cleanse, a reference to the plant's use as a tool and treatment. The shrub is native to the moors of northern Europe but is found in western Europe and parts of North Africa. The plant made its way to North America when Scottish settlers introduced the plant seeds via packing materials and with the mattress stuffing that washed ashore from shipwrecks, according to the Royal Horticulture Society. Although Calluna is a single species, the Heather Society lists more than 1,000 varieties in its database.

Function

Employ Scotch heather for landscaping, utilitarian and medicinal purposes. Today, the shrub serves as a ground cover, especially as a foreground for borders or filler for rock gardens. Prior to garden use, the people of Scotland used Scotch heather for brooms, roof thatch, as a dye for Tartan and an additive for liquor and ale. Plant parts served to treat arthritis, chilblains, gout and kidney stones. Currently, plant parts act as diuretics, sedatives and expectorants.

Identification

Recognize Scotch heather by bloom time and sepal length. The plant is often confused with heath, a similar looking plant of the Ericaceae family. However, heather blooms midsummer to fall (July through November), as opposed to winter and spring (October through March) for most heath varieties. Also, Scotch heather has small, scaled leaves that grow in pairs, the 4-lobed sepals being longer than the corolla. The heath has needlelike leaves with tubular bloom clusters.

Care

Grow Scotch heather in well drained, acidic soil, preferably a sunny location with little wind. Although the plant is often labeled for USDA zones 4 through 9, it is suited for the warmer parts of zone 4 and is not recommended south of zone 6. Plant seed indoors around February, then transplant in spring. Or root 2-inch long cuttings in July or August. Prune shoots to within ½ to 1 inch of previous year's flower cluster. Remember little, if any, fertilizer is needed and try to cover the plant with mulch before winter.

Considerations

Common problems associated with Scotch Heather include allergies and a failure to thrive. The pollen is an allergen for some people. The plant averages ten years before gradual decline with older specimens becoming leggy and unkempt. Watch the soil conditions and fertilizer applications. According to the Department of Horticulture at the University of Connecticut, it is "guaranteed to die" if exposed to high nitrogen levels. Scotch Heather is vulnerable to insects and disease. Spider mites and Oystershell scales can invade during the summer months along with fungal diseases, such as Botrytis (gray mold) rhizoctonia and Phytophthora (both responsible for damping off and root rot).

Resources

• The Heather Society
• University of Connecticut
• Herbs 2000