Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
North America, Northeastern United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Types
-
Ilex glabra, Ilex crenata, Ilex verticillata
Number of Varieties
7003
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
Coastal Regions, Lowland, Mountains, Subtropical climates, Suburban areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-85-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-5
9-1
Sunset Zone
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
Ammonium Nitrate
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Skin inflammation
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for insects
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Can be made into a herbal tea
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CALLUNA vulgaris
ILEX glabra
Common Name
Heather, Common heather, Ling
American Pokeweed, Inkberry, Silberstein American Pokeweed
In Hindi
हीथ
Inkberry
In German
Heidekraut
Inkberry
In French
bruyère
Inkberry
In Spanish
brezo
Inkberry
In Greek
ερείκη
Inkberry
In Portuguese
urze
Inkberry
In Polish
wrzos
inkberry
In Latin
Heather
Inkberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Ericales
Aquifoliales
Family
Ericaceae
Phytolaccaceae
Genus
Calluna
Ilex
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Ericeae
-
Subfamily
Ericoideae
-
Number of Species
860600
1
27800
👆🏻