Heather is a wonderful plant for anyone who wants to add colour to the garden across several seasons. It suits both beginners and experienced gardeners because it is easy to grow and hardy, while also offering abundant flowering and beautiful greenery. In this guide you will learn how to grow different types of heather in Sweden and get them to thrive and bloom beautifully all year round. We go through everything from planting and soil conditions to care advice, watering, overwintering and how to keep the heather looking good for a long time.
Autumn heather (Calluna vulgaris): Also called common heather. The perennial autumn heather flowers in late summer and during autumn with small white, pink, red or purple flowers. It is evergreen and can overwinter in almost the whole country (wild heather grows naturally all the way up to the mountains). In trade there is also annual autumn heather (often Erica gracilis) with extra strong colours – it is easy to care for but does not tolerate frost and is mainly used as a splash of colour in autumn pots.
Winter heather (Erica carnea): Often called spring heather. It is a low-growing, ground-covering heather that flowers in mid-winter or early spring in pink, white or purple tones. Winter heather is perennial and evergreen, hardy to about zone 3–4 in Sweden. Other close relatives such as Darley heather (Erica × darleyensis) also flower during winter/spring and give early colour when the garden is otherwise at its most barren.
Summer-flowering heather: There are also heather plants that can flower during the summer months. One example is cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix), which has urn-shaped pink flowers in high summer. Summer heather is less common in cultivation but can add colour to the garden in the middle of summer. Some species are hardy in southern Sweden (zone 2–3), while more exotic heather plants such as bell heather (Erica cinerea) or Irish heath (Daboecia) require very mild climates and sheltered positions.
With a smart combination of autumn heather, winter heather and summer heather, you can therefore have heather in the garden that flowers or is decorative all year round.
Planting heather
To succeed in planting heather in the best way, it is good to prepare both the plant and the planting site. Below are some tips for planting heather:
Planting time: Heather can be planted both early in autumn and in spring. Autumn planting is popular because the plants then give colour directly and have time to root before the next summer. If autumn has already become cold and the ground risks freezing, wait until spring to plant instead.
Prepare the soil: Dig a spacious hole and loosen the soil thoroughly where the heather is to stand. Feel free to mix the existing soil with rhododendron soil or unlimed peat to get the right acidity (more about soil below). This prepares a good bed for the heather’s roots.
Planting depth: Put the heather plant at the same depth as it stood in the pot – do not plant too deep because heather has a shallow root system. Place the root ball so that the entire soil clump is covered, but do not let the stems end up below the soil surface. Press the soil lightly around the plant.
Watering at planting: Water the soil through thoroughly directly after planting so the roots get a good start. It can be wise to water the plant already before you put it in the ground, so the root ball is thoroughly moist.
Plant several together: For a full effect in a bed or pot, feel free to plant several heather plants in a group. Set the plants a few decimetres apart (e.g. 20–30 cm) depending on the variety’s final size. Several heathers together form a beautiful “carpet” and also help the soil retain moisture better than if they stand alone.
Soil for heather
The right soil conditions are crucial for succeeding with heather. Heather plants are acid-loving plants, which means they thrive in soil with a low pH value (lime-poor soil). Preferably use a ready-made rhododendron soil at planting, or improve your existing garden soil by mixing in unlimed peat, bark compost, needles or leaf mould to increase acidity. The soil should be humus-rich and well-drained – heather does not want to stand in water, but it must also never dry out completely. If you have heavy clay soil you can mix in sand and more organic material to get a more airy, draining structure before you plant heather. An extra tip is to water with rainwater if possible, since ordinary tap water often contains lime which over time can raise the soil’s pH value.
Placement and position
Choose a suitable placement for the heather and it will reward you with more abundant flowering. The best position is a bright and sunny spot in the garden. With plenty of sun the flowering becomes more intense and lasts longer, while too much shade gives fewer flowers. Also make sure the position is well-drained so water does not remain standing around the roots (heather dislikes water that “stands”). At the same time, the position should not be too exposed to drying out – since heather has shallow roots it wants soil that retains a little moisture between rains. An open position with sun is good, but in really windy, dry winds especially newly planted heather may need some protection so it does not dry out. Heather tolerates cold well once established, so you do not need to worry about frost on a perennial plant as long as the soil is properly prepared.
Watering
Heather is relatively thirsty and sensitive to drying out, especially during its first year after planting and if it is grown in a pot. Keep the soil evenly moist but without it becoming waterlogged. Water regularly, about once a week, or more often in warm and sunny weather – do not stop watering until the ground is frozen. In pots the soil dries out much faster than in the open ground, so there it may be necessary to water even more often (feel the soil with your finger). Continue to water well into autumn to help the plant, and during mild periods in winter you can water a little if the soil has become dry. Also be attentive in early spring: strong spring sun while the ground is still frozen can stress the heather, so water carefully on a thaw day or protect the plant (more about that under overwintering). A heather that does not dry out will stay greener and bloom longer, so do not forget the watering can!
Care advice for heather
One of the advantages of heather is that it does not require much work once it is established. However, some simple heather care advice helps your plants stay healthy and nice:
Pruning: Clip the heather once a year to maintain a compact, healthy shape and promote new growth. Remove the faded flower heads – either late in autumn after flowering is over, or early in spring before new shoots begin to grow. (For autumn-flowering heather like Calluna, spring pruning is usually best, while spring heather like Erica carnea can be clipped directly after the spring bloom.) When you prune, avoid cutting down into the coarsest, woody part of the plant; trim only what flowered during the season. In this way you stimulate the heather to produce new, fresh shoots that will carry the next season’s flowers.
Nutrition: Heather is adapted to nutrient-poor ground and usually manages without extra fertiliser. Excessive fertilising can even do more harm than good. If your heather looks like it needs a boost, give it a weak dose of fertiliser for acid-loving plants (e.g. rhododendron fertiliser) early in spring. It gives nutrients to new shoots and flower buds without raising the soil’s pH value. Avoid, however, fertiliser that is too lime-rich or strong – “moderation is best” applies to heather’s nutrient needs.
Weeding and tidying the bed: Keep the area around the heather 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 parts that lie around the base should also be removed, since they retain moisture and can contribute to fungal diseases. By keeping it clean around the plants you prevent problems and let the heather spread without obstacles.
Maintain acidity: To care for the soil you can add a thin layer of organic material every year. Feel free to scatter a little pine needles, spruce twig cuttings or bark compost under the heather plants in autumn. When this decomposes it helps maintain the acidic pH balance and also keeps moisture in the soil. This layer also serves as protection for the shallow roots during winter.
Heather in pots: If you grow heather in pots or balcony boxes you need to give them a little extra care. Check the moisture in the potting soil often, because pots dry out faster. It is good to repot perennial heather plants into a larger pot or give them new soil every couple of years – it keeps them vigorous and gives the roots space to grow. During winter you can protect the pots by placing them next to a house wall, wrapping them in bubble wrap or burlap, or even sinking the pots into the ground temporarily. In this way the root system is protected against the worst cold.
Author: Emma Vogiatzi – gardener
Fact-checked by: Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2026-01-15