Heather is a wonderful plant if you want colour in the garden across several seasons. It suits beginners and experienced gardeners alike, because it is easy to grow and tough, while still offering generous flowering and beautiful foliage. In this guide you will learn how to grow different types of heather, and how to keep them thriving and flowering beautifully all year round. We cover everything from planting and soil to care, watering, overwintering and how to keep heather looking good for longer.
- Common heather (Calluna vulgaris): Also known as ling. This perennial heather flowers in late summer and through autumn with small white, pink, red or purple flowers. It is evergreen and hardy enough to overwinter in most temperate gardens – in the wild it grows all the way up into the mountains. Garden centres also sell annual Cape heath (Erica gracilis) with extra vivid colours. It is easy to care for but does not tolerate frost, and is mainly used as a splash of colour in autumn containers.
- Winter heath (Erica carnea): Often called spring heath. This is a low, ground-covering heather that flowers in midwinter or early spring in shades of pink, white or purple. Winter heath is perennial, evergreen and reliably hardy. Close relatives such as Darley Dale heath (Erica x darleyensis) also flower through winter and spring, bringing early colour when the garden is otherwise at its emptiest.
- Summer-flowering heather: There are also heathers that flower during the summer months. One example is cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix), which carries urn-shaped pink flowers in high summer. Summer heather is less common in cultivation but brings colour to the garden in the middle of the season. Some species are hardy in milder regions, while more tender heathers such as bell heather (Erica cinerea) or St Dabeoc's heath (Daboecia) need a mild climate and a sheltered position.
With a smart combination of autumn heather, winter heath and summer heather you can therefore have heather in the garden that flowers or looks decorative all year round.
Planting heather
To plant heather successfully it pays to prepare both the plant and the site. Here are some tips for planting heather:
- When to plant: Heather can be planted both in early autumn and in spring. Autumn planting is popular because the plants give colour straight away and have time to root before the following summer. If autumn has already turned cold and the ground risks freezing, wait until spring instead.
- Prepare the soil: Dig a generous hole and loosen the soil thoroughly where the heather is to go. Mix the existing soil with ericaceous compost or uncalcified peat to get the right acidity (more on soil below). This gives the roots a good bed to grow into.
- Planting depth: Set the plant at the same depth it stood in the pot – do not plant too deep, as heather is shallow rooted. Position the root ball so the whole of it is covered, but do not let the stems end up below the soil surface. Firm the soil gently around the plant.
- Water at planting: Water thoroughly right after planting so the roots get a good start. It is also wise to water the plant before you put it in the ground, so the root ball is soaked through.
- Plant in groups: For a full effect in a bed or container, plant several heathers together. Space them a few decimetres apart (20–30 cm depending on the final size of the variety). Several heathers together form a beautiful carpet and help the soil hold moisture better than a single plant would.
Soil for heather
The right soil is crucial for success with heather. Heathers are ericaceous plants, which means they thrive in soil with a low pH and little lime. Use a ready-made ericaceous compost when planting, or improve your existing garden soil by mixing in uncalcified peat, bark humus, pine needles or leaf mould to raise the acidity. The soil should be humus-rich and well drained – heather will not stand in water, but must never dry out completely either. If you have heavy clay, mix in sand and more organic material for a lighter, free-draining structure before you plant. One extra tip is to water with rainwater where possible, since tap water often contains lime that gradually raises the pH.
Position and site
Choose a good position and the heather will reward you with more flowers. The best spot is bright and sunny. Plenty of sun makes the flowering more intense and longer lasting, while too much shade gives fewer flowers. Make sure the site drains well so water does not sit around the roots. At the same time the position should not be too exposed to drying out – because heather roots shallowly, it wants soil that holds a little moisture between rains. An open, sunny spot is good, but in really windy, dry conditions newly planted heather may need some shelter so it does not dry out. Heather copes well with cold once established, so you do not need to worry about frost on a perennial plant as long as the soil has been prepared properly.
Watering
Heather is fairly thirsty and sensitive to drying out, particularly in its first year after planting and when grown in a pot. Keep the soil evenly moist without letting it get waterlogged. Water regularly, roughly once a week, or more often in warm and sunny weather – and do not stop watering until the ground has frozen. In containers the soil dries out much faster than in open ground, so watering may need to be more frequent still; check by feeling the soil with a finger. Carry on watering well into autumn to help the plant, and during mild spells in winter you can water a little if the soil has dried out. Watch out in early spring too: strong spring sun while the ground is still frozen can stress heather, so water carefully on a mild day or protect the plant. A heather that does not dry out stays greener and flowers for longer, so do not forget the watering can.
Caring for heather
One of heather's advantages is that it needs little work once established. A few simple pointers will keep your plants healthy and good looking:
- Trimming: Trim heather once a year to keep a compact, healthy shape and encourage new growth. Remove the spent flower spikes either in late autumn once flowering is over, or in early spring before new shoots start. For autumn-flowering heather such as Calluna, a spring trim is usually best, while winter heath such as Erica carnea can be cut back straight after it has flowered. When you trim, avoid cutting into the thick, woody part of the plant; only take off what flowered during the season. That way you encourage fresh new shoots, which will carry next season's flowers.
- Feeding: Heather is adapted to poor soil and usually manages without extra fertiliser. Overfeeding can do more harm than good. If your heather looks like it needs a boost, give it a weak dose of ericaceous feed in early spring. That supports new shoots and flower buds without raising the pH. Avoid anything strongly limey or concentrated – with heather, less is more.
- Keep the bed clean: Keep the area around the plants free of weeds and fallen leaves. Heather spreads low, so weeds can otherwise smother small plants or compete for water. Old leaves and dead plant material collecting around the base should also be removed, since they trap moisture and can encourage fungal disease. Keeping things clean around the plants prevents problems and lets the heather spread unhindered.
- Maintain the acidity: To look after the soil, add a thin layer of organic material each year. Scatter a little pine needle litter, chopped spruce or bark humus under the plants in autumn. As it breaks down it helps maintain the acid pH and holds moisture in the soil. This layer also protects the shallow roots through winter.
- Heather in pots: If you grow heather in containers or window boxes, give them a little extra attention. Check the moisture often, as pots dry out faster. It is worth repotting perennial heathers into a larger container or giving them fresh compost every couple of years – it keeps them vigorous and gives the roots room. In winter you can protect the pots by standing them against a house wall, wrapping them in bubble wrap or hessian, or even sinking the pots temporarily into the ground. That shields the root system from the worst of the cold.
Author: Emma Vogiatzi, trained gardener
Fact-checked by Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2026-01-15