Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
7003
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-84-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-5
9-1
Sunset Zone
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 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
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Pink
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
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
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
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
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
Ammonium Nitrate
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double, Semi-Double
-
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Skin inflammation
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for insects
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Whole plant
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
CALLUNA vulgaris
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Heather, Common heather, Ling
River Birch
In Hindi
हीथ
River Birch
In German
Heidekraut
Fluss Birch
In French
bruyère
Birch river
In Spanish
brezo
river Birch
In Greek
ερείκη
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
urze
river Birch
In Polish
wrzos
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
Heather
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ericales
Fagales
Family
Ericaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Calluna
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Ericeae
-
Subfamily
Ericoideae
-
Number of Species
8603
1
27800
👆🏻