Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Shrub
Perennial
Origin
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Europe, Northern Europe, Western Europe, United Kingdom
Types
-
M. v. brevipetala
M. v. collina
M. v. frozen
M. v. grandiflora
M. v. paui
M. v. verna
M. v. japonica
Number of Varieties
7007
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
gardens, Grassland, Prairies, Suburban areas, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-84-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-5
8-1
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
Mat-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm7.60 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm20.30 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Tiny
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, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Keep ground moist, Never Over-water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water more in summer
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
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, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Ammonium Nitrate
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beautification
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
Burns, Thyroid problems, tuberculosis
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Alpine, Container, Edging, Groundcover, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
CALLUNA vulgaris
MINUARTIA verna
Common Name
Heather, Common heather, Ling
Irish Moss
In Hindi
हीथ
आयरिश काई
In German
Heidekraut
Irish Moss
In French
bruyère
Irish Moss
In Spanish
brezo
musgo de irlanda
In Greek
ερείκη
Irish Moss
In Portuguese
urze
Moss irlandês
In Polish
wrzos
mech irlandzki
In Latin
Heather
Irish Moss
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Ericales
Caryophyllales
Family
Ericaceae
Caryophyllaceae
Genus
Calluna
Minuartia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Ericeae
-
Subfamily
Ericoideae
-
Number of Species
86050
1
27800
👆🏻