Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Southern Europe
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
Saline Soils, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-8
6-10
Sunset Zone
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
White, Red, Pink
-
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Linear
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Tolerances
-
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
From Rhizomes, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires a lot of watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Do not prune during shooting season, Prune after harvesting, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Ammonium Nitrate
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize in early spring
Pests and Diseases
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
allergic conjunctivitis, flushing of face, wheezing
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
Skin inflammation
Making cosmetics, Skin cleanser
Edible Uses
Yes
Sometimes
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for insects
Agroforestry, Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree, soil stabilisation
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emmoiliant
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Basketary, Showy Purposes, Used in making musical instruments, Wood is used in construction
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Sometimes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
CALLUNA vulgaris
ARUNDO donax
Common Name
Heather, Common heather, Ling
Giant Reed
In German
Heidekraut
Pfahlrohr
In French
bruyère
Arundo donax
In Spanish
brezo
Arundo donax
In Greek
ερείκη
Arundo donax
In Portuguese
urze
Cana-do-reino
In Polish
wrzos
Lasecznica trzcinowata
In Latin
Heather
Arundo donax
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Commelinids
Importance of Heather and Giant Reed
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Heather and Giant Reed. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Heather and Giant Reed as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Heather is Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain and Urinary tract problems whereas of Giant Reed is Diaphoretic, Diuretic and Emmoiliant. Heather has beauty benefits as follows: Skin inflammation while Giant Reed has beauty benefits as follows: Skin inflammation.
Compare Facts of Heather vs Giant Reed
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Heather vs Giant Reed and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Heather are whereas of Giant Reed have allergic conjunctivitis, flushing of face and wheezing respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Heather has no showy fruits and Giant Reed has no showy fruits. Also Heather is not flowering and Giant Reed is not flowering . You can compare Heather and Giant Reed facts and facts of other plants too.