Despite its small size, the heather knows how to stand out throughout the year by its color and its leaves. The heather flower, scientific name “Calluna vulgaris,” offers persistent foliage, which flourish even in difficult places and cold weather. The heather’s vibrant colors ranging from pink to white, purple, and red, draws attention and leaves you briefly speechless.
The heather blooms in the garden all year long and it grows best on sandy heaths and is covered in the fall with numerous small pink flowers.
In this article, we are going to discover more about the hidden mystery of the heather flower. In addition, this beauty has a diverse symbolical meaning to reveal and explore. Today, we are going to shed light on its symbolism and some fun facts behind it, and you can learn the following:
- The beauty of heather
- The strength of the heather flower
- Heather Care tips and planting
- Types of heather flower
- Heather flower symbolism
- Botanical facts
The Beauty of Heather
Heather is a decorative flower that does not exceed 50 cm in height and in width. Its small size allows it to stand in pots or planters in order to decorate balconies and terraces. In the garden, heather wonderfully fulfills its role as a ground cover in a rock garden, too.
The heather flower can also form a beautiful border along a wall, a façade, or a fence. This beautiful plant simply brightens up your garden with its white, pink, or red floral stems. Furthermore, the heather flourishes from the beginning of summer until the end of autumn. You can definitely enjoy this beauty all the year.
In winter, you take advantage of its evergreen foliage colors over the seasons in orange, intense red or even neon yellow.
The Strength of the Heather Flower
Heather grows and blooms in difficult places such as moors or chalky cliffs. As a matter of fact, the heather is often the only plant found there. Rustic heather grows very well in cold places, too, and in a variety of different conditions. It supports the atmospheric pollution of the city and the violent sea spray, too.
The heather plant likes it under any exposure. Indeed, it appreciates the spring heat and certain species support drought. The heather flower finds its place in any rich, light, well-drained or even sandy and neutral to acid soil.
Regarding planting, add a little potting soil to the natural earth, and just make sure that you don’t bury the base of the plant too much. For potted plants, potting takes place in the spring.
Heather Caring Tips and Planting
Heather Erica, the most common type, is planted in late summer or fall and even in winter if it does not freeze. You can also plant heather in the spring. In case it is not raining, you should water it generously and regularly, especially during the first year. Don’t hesitate to mulch with maritime pine bark.
Untangle the roots at the base and soak the root ball in water for a few minutes. Then, add heather soil to that of your garden to develop the plant well. Keep in mind that the Erica variety supports clay soils, even soil that is slightly calcareous. The growth is relatively slow and the heather will never exceed 40 cm in height.
The Heather Erica is a plant so undemanding that it requires almost no care. Water should be applied when the soil becomes dry, especially if it is grown in pots, but that’s about it. In the spring, make sure to supply some fertilizer.
Types of Heather Flower
The heather family is not only represented by the Erica type. In fact, there are also two other kinds of heather: Calluna and Daboecia. On the one hand, the first kind is known under the wild callune or Calluna vulgaris with fleshy foliage and red reflections. It grows in an acid soil and a sunny or partial shade situation.
On the other hand, the second kind, originally from Ireland, is known as Daboecia cantabrica. This kind forms straight cushions 35 to 50 cm high. From June to October, it is covered with clusters of pink flowers. It likes light, sandy, acidic soils rich in humus, especially in regions with severe winters.
Heather Flower Symbolism
In the language of flowers, the heather symbolizes power. This flower expresses how deep and strong a love can be. Heather can also express the pleasure of being alone and the feeling of nostalgia. The heather plant also stands for three main symbols: fortune, independence, and admiration.
The heather flower is also a sign of good luck. If you are willing to wish someone the best of luck, you can always offer them the heather flower as a gift for luck and fortune. You can put it in your home to bring luck to you, too, and many superstitious people recommend you carry it with you for fortune and good luck.
The heather plant is viewed as a sign of independence, too. If you are a heather lover, it symbolizes that you like to be independent and you are highly confident. The heather can be widely seen also as a symbol for admiration.
Botanical Facts
From the Ericaceae family, the genus Erica has more than 800 species of persistent shrubs, mostly from South Africa, with some species in Europe and elsewhere in Africa.
The heather flower was widely used by rural populations in poor regions. They were made into brooms and baskets, and when the straw ran out, heather filled the mattresses.
Flowers are meant to beautify our homes and brighten up our daily lives. Thus, we should learn how to take care of our beautiful and colorful gardens. A flower can express more than words and reveal our deepest feelings and most sincere emotions. Today, you should learn the meaning of every single flower and explore the message hidden behind it. Spread love and peace only with flowers.