Spring Torch Scotch Heather - Calluna vulgaris - Hardy - 4" Pot

Callunas’ tiny, scalelike leaves range from deepest green to silver, gold and bronze, with some changing color after a frost. Flowering from mid-to-late summer in cool whites, pinks and purples, the small, bell-shaped flowers are frozen in graceful repose on one-sided spikes. Heathers are marvelous fresh or dried. 'Spring Torch' gets its name from the vibrant color of its new growth in spring. The mid-green leaves are tipped in shades of cream, orange, and red. Later in the summer, mauve-pink flower spikes cover the plant and last into the fall. As cold weather sets in, leaves acquire bronze or purple tones, adding further interest. This small, mounding evergreen shrub makes a good groundcover or rock garden plant. Bees love it. Different cultivars are beautiful woven together in the garden to form a colorful tapestry. Heather needs an open site in well-drained, fertile, acidic soil in full sun. Mulch and cover with pine boughs if snow cover is not consistent. Prune annually in spring by cutting back flowered shoots to within an inch of previous year's growth. Measurements are approximate.