Plants of the heather family. What is common heather Planting and care

Heather, verest, veresin, lingonberry, bogon, sparrow buckwheat - all these are the names of one plant, which I will talk about today. We usually call it common heather, or simply heather.

heather

Heather (Caltuna vulgaris)- an evergreen undersized shrub of the heather family and its only representative. The plant can reach up to 1 m in height. Small flowers are combined into racemose inflorescences and look very beautiful. Heather flowers range in color from soft white to purplish purple. Heather blooms in August and continues to bloom until October. By the way, precisely because the plant blooms in early autumn, one of the months in the Ukrainian language was named after heather - Spring (September).

Where does it grow

Heather is an unpretentious plant, therefore it grows equally well both on rocky hills and mountain ranges, and on plains, in pine forests and peat bogs. Heather thickets are called moorland, moorland. Heather is widespread in Europe, North Africa, Greenland, the Atlantic coast of North America, Eastern and Western Siberia. From European countries only Italy cannot boast of a heather carpet.

Medicinal properties of heather

Heather is known for its medicinal properties. Heather infusions are used in the treatment of inflammatory processes. Delicious heather honey will be an excellent remedy for colds. Also very useful are teas, infusions and syrups from heather flowers. Heather infusion compress will help soothe skin irritation and promote rapid healing of wounds.

The use of heather in cooking

Heather honey is used in cooking. Usually, we prefer other types of honey, because heather has a slightly bitter taste. but in European countries, say in France, heather honey is a real delicacy. Also, delicious drinks, teas, syrups are prepared from heather flowers and honey.

How else is heather used?

How nice it is to wrap yourself in a warm checkered blanket in a rainy autumn time! Did you know that such blankets originated in Scotland and were dyed with a dye made from heather leaves? Also, this dye was used to dye the fabric from which traditional Scottish clothes were sewn.

And today, heather occupies an honorable place in Scottish culture. This flower even adorns the coat of arms of one of the Scottish clans.

The soil where heather grows is used as a fertilizer in horticulture, as it is enriched with various minerals and nutrients.

Heather in world literature

There are also references to this fragrant plant in the literature. Say, in 1880 the world saw a wonderful ballad by the famous Scottish writer R. L. Stevenson "Heath honey". The legend tells of a father and son who tried to keep the heather honey recipe secret no matter what. A wonderful work was written on the basis of legends and traditions of the 15th century.

Heather Legends and Traditions

Thanks to magical flowering, strong smell and, of course, healing properties, heather was often called the "gift of the gods". There are many legends that testify to the respectful attitude towards this plant.

Scottish legends tell that a charming little people lived in the moorlands - elves. They danced in the heather and made honey. It was believed that this drink provided divine power to those who drink it.

The Scots have a legend telling that when God asked plants to populate rocky, windswept hillsides and wastelands, Heather was the only one who agreed to do it. For this, the Lord gave heather endurance, unpretentiousness, amazing aroma and honey-bearing qualities. Heather honey is known all over the world.

Heather is a shrub of small height, the branches of which, branching strongly, sometimes form thickets that are difficult to pass.

Heather shrub at first glance is quite simple, but, nevertheless, this plant has some kind of internal appeal and beckons with its simple beauty. When the heather blooms, the wastelands on which it grows are transformed into a lilac-pink carpet. This unforgettable spectacle has served as the subject of paintings by more than one artist and photographer.

plant description

Common heather is a plant that belongs to the heather family, is a very branchy, evergreen shrub. The shrub is low, its usual height does not exceed one meter. The color of the main stem and branches is reddish-brown or with a brown tint, the branches are flexible and strongly branched, covered with a small fluff.

The plant has small leaves, narrow, scaly, tetrahedral in shape, arranged oppositely on the branches, do not fall off by winter. There are quite a few varieties of heather and each of them has its own leaf color - green, yellow, bronze, silver-orange or red-brown.

Heather blooms from mid-summer until its very end. The flowers have a beautiful pinkish-purple, white or raspberry-cherry color, although they are small goblet in size, but collected in racemose inflorescences up to 18 centimeters long, with which the branches end, turn each heather bush into a colorful natural masterpiece.

When flowering, the bushes remain covered with dry flowers, giving the impression of flowering until late autumn. After flowering on heather bushes, fruit-boxes are formed, filled with small seeds that ripen by the end of the autumn period.

Distribution area

Heather - a plant really unpretentious, and populates the regions in strict accordance with the Scottish legend - mountain slopes, wastelands and peat, swampy places and burnt areas, where the climate and natural conditions hard on other plants.

Heather thickets are found from European territory to the Far Eastern regions, as well as on the American continent and, of course, in Scotland.

Presumably, heather was brought to America by settlers from the highlands of Scotland, during the period of colonization of this mainland. The life expectancy of this shrub reaches 35-40 years.

On the territory of our country, common heather grows in almost all regions, mainly on sandy soils. So, it can be found in pine forests, in clearings, clearings, edges or near swamps, where this plant forms thickets, popularly called heaths.

Heather also received quite a lot of names, different peoples for him there was a name - dry wild rosemary, veres, pine forest red grass, yernik, veros, borovitsa, ryskun, upland canary, pine forest, veresen, horovitsa, boron verist, sparrow buckwheat, greenery, canabrennik, boron savory, upland kapatka, lingonberry, savory, triflower and others.

Economic importance

In addition to its aesthetic value, heather was used among the people and for economic purposes. So, since ancient times in Scotland it was customary to stuff bed mattresses with dry heather, which served as the basis for one of the assumptions about where the heather came from on the American continent.

One of the possibilities for this plant to appear in America was shipwrecks, as a result of which mattresses stuffed with heather were washed ashore, and this plant gradually settled on the coast, and then inland.

In Scotland, a yellow dye was obtained from heather leaves, which was used to dye the famous Scottish fabric, from which blankets were made and the national clothes of the Scots, including kilts, were sewn. Strong brooms were made from heather branches.

The famous heather ale is also made from heather. The first mention of this traditional strong Scottish beer is found in monastic manuscripts dated to the second century BC.

In addition, beekeepers receive special heather honey. This honey differs from all others, both in color (it is usually dark red), and in composition, and has an amazing, strong aroma. Heather honey contains a lot of minerals and various proteins, thanks to which the beneficial properties of this honey are determined.

And, of course, we must not forget that heather has been used by healers since ancient times to treat many diseases.

Procurement of medicinal raw materials

Medicinal raw materials for heather are flowers, leaves and stems (tops of shoots with leaves and flowers). Harvesting of these parts of the plant is carried out during its flowering period, which begins from the first days of July and lasts until the end of August.

Heather is dried only in the shade, avoiding direct sunlight. If the summer is rainy, then it is better to dry the medicinal raw materials under a canopy or in the attic of the house. When drying, the raw materials must be periodically stirred, turned over for better ventilation. Store the resulting medicinal raw materials in a well-closed cardboard box or in glass containers, but not more than one year, then it is better to replace the raw materials with fresher ones.

Healing properties of heather

heather common in folk medicine used since time immemorial. Healer recipes were passed down and supplemented from generation to generation. Since ancient times, heather has been used to treat cough, cystitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, kidney stones, gout, gastritis, prostatitis and many other diseases.
From heather make infusions, decoctions for internal and external use. Heather juice is used for diseases of the mouth and throat.

The widespread use of heather for medicinal purposes is due to its anti-inflammatory, diuretic, diaphoretic, expectorant, wound healing and antibacterial properties.

Common heather contains substances such as coumarins, phenolcarboxylic acids, glycosides, phenols, protoanthocyanidins, leucoanthocyanidins, tannins, erikodenine alkaloid, flavonoids, bitter glycoside ericolin, quercetin, a number of organic acids, saponins, mineral salts, carotene, some resins, gum and others. substances that together make this plant medicinal.

The modern medical industry produces quite a few preparations based on heather, which are used to treat various diseases.

Heather, in addition to the above properties, accelerates blood clotting, acts as a sedative and hypnotic on the human nervous system, and is an anti-acid agent.

The anti-inflammatory properties of this plant are well manifested in the treatment of chronic cystitis, inflammation of the walls of the bladder, renal pelvis, purulent inflammatory processes in the urinary tract, kidney stones, prostatitis and renal colic.

Due to the content of glycosides, heather is an excellent stimulant for the cardiovascular system.

An infusion of heather flowers and leaves prepared according to the recipe: take 20-25 grams of a well-chopped mixture of heather flowers and leaves, pour a glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath for at least 15 minutes, then cool, filter and take 2/3 warm glass before meals three times a day. This recipe is effective for diseases of the liver, gallbladder and kidney stones.
Heather tea can be prepared according to different recipes, but as a sedative for insomnia, it is prepared as follows: you need to take 1-2 teaspoons of flowers and leaves and brew a glass of boiling water in a small bowl or teapot. Let it brew for 10-15 minutes, and drink once a day about a glass, but only necessarily warm.
A decoction of heather for external use is prepared at the rate of 4-5 tablespoons of raw materials per 1 liter of water. Make compresses for diseases such as wounds, ulcers, burns, eczema or baths for pain and spasms as a result of the removal of stones from the kidneys. In addition, heather baths have a calming effect on the entire body.
An infusion of 4-5 grams of crushed raw materials per liter of water is very a good remedy to remove kidney stones and dropsy. If you apply this infusion long time(2-4 months), then you can clean the kidneys, bladder from sand, dissolve and remove stones from the kidneys, as well as clean the joints, relieve swelling.

Contraindications

Heather ordinary has contraindications. It can not be used in diseases of the stomach with low acidity, with a tendency to constipation, with a breakdown, accompanied by inhibition of reactions and drowsiness. Individual intolerance to this plant is also possible.

The flowers are small, with 4 separate calyx lilac- Pink colour, 4 separate bell-shaped corolla, slightly smaller than the calyx, painted in lilac-pink color, has 8 stamens and one pistil with an upper ovary. The flowers are collected in many-flowered apical racemes.

Family: Heathers (Ericaceae)

Homeland: North Africa, Southern Europe, Caucasus.

Stem: evergreen branched from 30 to 70 cm tall.

Leaves: small up to 2.5 cm long, up to 1 cm wide, sessile, trihedral, tiled on stems in 4 rows, completely cover the surface of the stems.

Fetus: box, ripens in September-October.

Flowering period: July-September.

Illumination: bright light, partial shade.

Watering: plentiful in the warm season, does not require watering in winter.

Content temperature: summer +20-25°С, winter up to -10°С, many varieties require winter shelter.

Flowering period: depends on the variety.

Reproduction: seeds, division of roots, cuttings.

Retains viability in the soil up to 40 years.

Where heather grows

Naturally grows almost throughout Europe - from the north to the Mediterranean Sea, in Siberia, Morocco, the Azores, the Komi Republic and Belarus. It is widely distributed in the forest regions of the European part of Russia, where heather mainly grows in pine forests, in their glades and edges, swamps, peat bogs and wastelands. Forms huge multi-kilometer thickets, called heaths. Often grows on mountain slopes and in areas with rocky soil.

Heather: plant species

There is only one species in the genus - common heather ( Calluna vulgaris) and about 300 . Varieties of heather differ in terms of flowering and color of leaves and flowers.

Decorative Heather (Calluna Salisb)- small, up to 50 cm tall evergreen shrub with small needle-like leaves. The flowers are small lilac-pink, white or purple, bell-shaped. Heather, placed indoors, blooms from autumn to mid-winter, at a temperature of no more than + 12 ° C.

Tree Heather (Erika arborea)- an evergreen, bushy tree, growing up to 5 m tall, with small bluish leaves, up to 1 cm long, needle-shaped bare or short-pubescent. Flowers small, broadly bell-shaped, up to 3 cm long, white color collected in a complex, 20 to 40 cm long pyramidal inflorescence. Flowers with pleasant aroma. Blooms profusely during March-April. In culture since 1658.

Heather Pink (Calluna Rose)- evergreen shrub up to 90 cm tall and up to 50 cm in diameter. The stem is straight thin with hard branches. The narrowed-oval leaves of bright green color are retracted, up to 1.5 cm long, growing without cuttings directly from the stem. Hanging flowers are cylindrical, red, pink or white, up to 2 cm in diameter, collected in straight, thin, terminal racemes 10-15 cm long. Blooms in April-July. It is an excellent honey plant.

heather garden- a group of frost-resistant varieties differing in bush height, leaf and flower color, is divided into 3 categories: tall, medium-tall and undersized varieties.

Tall varieties 50-70 cm tall

Heather long white (Long White) with green leaves and white flowers.

Beale) - with dark green leaves and light pink double flowers.

Golden (S. aurea)- with yellow leaves in summer, brown-red and purple flowers in winter and autumn.

Alport (S. Alportii)- with dark green leaves and dark pink flowers.

Medium tall varieties from 30 to 40 cm

Plenums of Elba (Alba Plena)- leaves are green, flowers are terry, white.

Boskoop- leaves are golden yellow in summer, copper-orange in winter and autumn, lilac-pink flowers.

Darkness- with green leaves and purple-red flowers.

Hammond (Hammondii)- light green leaves, white flowers.

Low-growing varieties from 20 to 30 cm

Hamilton (J. H. Hamilton)- with yellow leaves and double flowers of a red hue.

Marilyn (Marleen)- with dark green leaves and purple flowers.

Dark Star- with dark green leaves and semi-double ruby-red flowers.

heather scottish

Scottish Heather (Calluna vulgaris Hill)-, highly branched, evergreen shrub, from 30 cm to 1 m high. Stems with red-brown bark and thin, often rooting branches. The leaves are small, sessile, green, short-needle, tiled-arranged in 4 rows.

The shape of the leaves is almost triangular, arrow-shaped at the base, with a blunt apex. The flowers are small, pale lilac, less often white, collected in a multi-flowered unilateral raceme. The calyx is shiny, 4-parted. Eight stamens, pistil with a tetrahedral upper ovary and a long style. The fruit is a capsule with small seeds.

Heather (Calluna vulgaris)

It is a perennial, evergreen, pollinated shrub with a height of 20 to 70 cm and a width of up to 45 cm. dark green sessile leaves up to 2-2.5 cm long. The bell-shaped corolla is slightly irregular shape, lilac-pink, rarely white, with fused petals. The flowers are located at the ends of the lateral shoots and are collected in dense racemose inflorescences.

Flowering period: July-August, after which the perianths do not fall off and the common heather retains its attractive appearance.

Graceful Heather (Erica gracilis)

The plant is from South Africa. Graceful heather is an evergreen shrub up to 50 cm tall with short lateral shoots and very small, up to 5 mm long linear leaves of light green color. The flowers are elongated-oval, hairless, goblet, constricted in the throat, bright red. Flowers collected in 4 pcs. at the short ends of the shoots.

Blooms in October-February. There are varieties that differ in the color of the flowers. An indispensable variety of heather for winter gardens, landscaping of bright rooms and forcing.

Diseases and pests of heather

The culture is incredibly resistant to diseases and is practically not affected by pests, but fungal and viral diseases are possible. Heather is mainly affected by diseases and pests when not proper care or kept in too damp soil.

The most common heather disease is sulfur rot, which affects the plant and develops when elevated level soil and air moisture. When the first signs appear (gray bloom on the shoots, foliage fall and partial death of young shoots), it is necessary to treat the plant with the antifungal drug Fundazol or Topaz, and with a stronger lesion, a 1% solution of copper sulphate is used. Treatment is carried out in 2-3 doses with an interval of 6-10 days, and preventive treatment is carried out in early spring or late autumn.

The leaves turn brown and the tops of young shoots wither - waterlogging of the soil or excessive fertilization.

If the young shoots dry out and the leaves become covered with a grayish-white bloom, then this is an infection with powdery mildew. Antifungal drugs are used for treatment.

Deformation of shoots and flowers, uneven, uncharacteristic coloring of flowers and leaves are obvious symptoms of viral diseases from which there are no ways. effective treatment. In this case, the plant must be dug up and burned to prevent the spread of the disease.

Of the pests, it is most often infected with a scab. Effectively in the fight helps morning spraying with soapy water.

Heather in the garden

Due to its unusual appearance, noticeable, abundant, long-lasting and beautiful bloom heather on garden plot takes its rightful place. Heather does not require special care, is drought-resistant and feels great in the shade, which allows it to be used as a decorative flowering plant that complements the overall picture of the garden.

With proper care, you can easily create a closed continuous carpet of heather plants, very picturesque both in individual heather gardens and in compositions with tall plants, on Alpine rollercoaster or as a curb along the tracks.

Heathers with decorative forms look very impressive. coniferous plants or flowering shrubs and are great for decorating the foreground of the site.

heather application

Heather has long been used in winemaking, brewing and for dyeing yarn in shades of yellow. Currently, heather has been used in various fields:

v agriculture used as a fodder plant;
dried shoots and flowers are used as fillers for fragrant pillows and for making winter bouquets;
dried and crushed flowers are used as a seasoning for snacks and first courses;
in landscape design;
for making heather tea.

In many countries, heather is grown on an industrial scale for the extraction of honey, the manufacture of pharmacological preparations and further processing into feed additives for animals.

Healing properties of heather

Chemical properties. The aerial part of the plant contains such elements as:

about 7% catechin tannins;
0.3-0.86% arbutin and ericoline glycoside;
quercitrin;
the enzyme arbutase;
starch, resins, gums, flavonoids, carotene;
compounds of potassium, potassium, sodium and phosphorus;
organic acids and dyes.

But the most valuable substance contained in heather is silicic acid, which affects the state of connective tissues.

The healing properties of heather have been used in medicine as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, sedative, expectorant, hypotensive, astringent, wound healing, diaphoretic and diuretic. Allow it to be used in practical medicine for:

inflammation of the bladder and renal pelvis;
nephrolithiasis;
diarrhea and enterocolitis as an astringent;
nervous excitations, as a sedative and hypnotic;
catarrh of the stomach with high acidity;
rheumatism, gout, stones and sand in the kidneys, cough;
cystitis, prostatitis, diseases of the liver and spleen.

Heather as an external remedy is used for rashes, ulcers on the body, rickets, eczema, allergies, burns and as a wound healing agent. Heather baths are very effective for swelling of the legs due to diseases of the kidneys and heart and for rheumatism, and festering wounds are sprinkled with powder from dried flowers.

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands do not know boredom!

Content

In winter and summer, blooming in almost the same color - not every plant boasts of this. Wild heather is popular as a garden decoration, but it has other benefits as well. True, it was not without certain criteria: soil type, acidity, humidity, site lighting and nutrition for shrubs. These items are full small nuances, knowledge of which guarantees heather normal growth.

The shrub is classified as the only species in the genus Heather. The family is heather, where science has about 500 plant varieties. Another name for common heather is lat. Calluna vulgaris. Calluna comes from the Greek. words kallyno ("sweep, clean"). Vulgaris is Latin for "common". The plant is popularly known as:

lime;
trotter;
sparrow buckwheat;
canabrian;
upland canary;
lingonberry;
Peter Sparks;
dry rosemary;
verest;
veresovets-grass;
yernik;
upland heather;
heather;
upland canabra;
kinlochruel.

Outwardly, it is a small evergreen broom-shaped shrub. Lipica roots are numerous, but thanks to their small sizes form a compact system under the ground. Heather leaves are small, triangular, sessile and arranged in four rows. Due to its unpretentiousness, the plant has taken root on the soils of Europe, Africa (only in the northern part of the mainland), North America.

Lipica is common in the temperate zone of Asia, Greenland, the Azores, Atlantic coast. There is a shrub in the East Slavic countries. The European part and Siberia are the only areas where heather grows in Russia. When symbiosis with some plants from the genus Erica, the shrub forms thickets known as "moorlands" (or simply "heaths").

Application

Heather plants are used not only for garden soils. Tea and alcohol are prepared from the flowers of the shrub. Heather leaves are used as dyes for leather and wool. It is an autumn honey plant - when other plants wither, the lime tree still blooms. The composition of heather honey surpasses other varieties in saturation with minerals and proteins.

Seed extract effectively fights weeds in the soil. Heather-based medicinal preparations are used for diseases urinary tract, colds, coughs, pulmonary tuberculosis and even dysentery. Heather baths and poultices heal wounds, bruises, swelling, burns. A tincture from the upper part of the shoots of the plant, obtained during the flowering period, heals nervous diseases.

Useful properties and contraindications

The healing qualities of heather are known both in folk and traditional medicine. The plant cleanses the blood, disinfects, treats inflammation, heals wounds. In addition, lime has a calming and astringent effect. The characteristics of this shrub are directly related to its composition:

alkaloid ericodinine;
bitterness;
glycoside arbutin;
tannins;
lime;
gum;
carotene;
catechin elements;
dyes;
starch;
silicic acid;
organic acids (fumaric, citric);
saponins;
slime;
resins;
compounds of potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus;
flavonoids (quercetin, myricetin);
enzymes;
essential oil.

The first thing before eating heather is to consult a doctor. It is not recommended to take Lipica inside with low acidity of gastric juice. And an overdose of drugs based on this plant is fraught with gastrointestinal ailments. Heather treatment is categorically contraindicated in:

frequent constipation;
gastritis;
individual intolerance to this plant.

Heather cultivation

Lime soil is excluded, since the lime grows poorly on such soil. There are two options for this shrub:

wet loamy or peaty soil;
dry sands or sandy loam.

In each case, the plant needs at least a little soil moisture. An important criterion for soil: acidity. Acceptable pH value is 4.5-5.5. It is desirable to choose a site lighter, but heather gets used to partial shade. The optimal place for a plant is three components in a ratio of 3: 1: 2:

peat;
sand;
coniferous soil / compost tree bark.

Landing

Suitable seasons for growing shrubs outdoors are spring and autumn. Moreover, the first option for the plant is preferable. So the copy will have time to ripen by autumn - the period when heather blooms:

Spring: from the 2nd half of April to the beginning of May.
Autumn: from the 2nd half of September to the beginning of October.

When planting a plant on open ground it is important to follow each step of the procedure. Heather does not tolerate "moving" from place to place. Therefore, it is necessary to decide in advance on a suitable site for the shrub:

There are approximately 6-10 copies of lime tree per 1 m2 of soil (depending on the plant variety).
If the pits in which shrubs will be planted are located on clay soil, then a drainage layer of sand or crushed brick must first be added to each of them. Thickness - 5-10 cm.
Add 20-30 grams of nitrophoska and 30-50 grams of horn flour for heather into the holes.
Plant a shrub at a depth of 25-35 cm.
Water the lime seedlings. Each plant will need 5-6 liters of water.
Mulch the soil with peat or pine wood chips.

Care

Heather loves slightly moist soil. Therefore, the area near the plant should be regularly watered with acidified water (1 time in 1.5-2 weeks) and mulched. Having moistened the soil, it is advisable to loosen it through the mulch to a depth of 10-15 cm. Top dressing for lipice is laid in the spring - around April-May. For each shrub, 1.5-2 tablespoons of mineral fertilizer will be required:

Scatter the top dressing over the area, without hitting the heather leaves with it.
Pour fertilizer into mulch.
Thoroughly water the soil around the plants.

Every spring, half of the heather inflorescence is removed, thereby maintaining its shape and stimulating the growth of new shoots. To prevent infections, the shrub is treated with fungicides or a 1% solution of copper sulfate. The latter is used only for critical plant diseases. Lipica is sprayed three times a day with a break of 5 to 10 days.

reproduction

Heather shrub propagated by seeds, cuttings and division. In the first case, the plant needs a constant temperature of +18-22°C. The substrate (soil) consists of three components: sand, coniferous wood chips and peat (ratio 1:1:2). And they are all mixed. Further on the instructions:

Lightly dampen the soil with water.
Plant the seeds in the substrate and cover the container with lime clear glass until the first seedlings (appear after 21-28 days).
During this period, constantly water the plant.
Take out the grown and strengthened shrub on Fresh air but avoiding direct sunlight.
At the age of 8-10 months, heather seedlings are transferred to separate containers.

Propagation by cuttings is carried out in summer or early autumn. Florists believe that heather will be more resistant to diseases.

Heather drink
Forgotten a long time ago.
And he was sweeter than honey
Drunker than wine...

Grass common heather (lat. Calluna vulgaris)- an evergreen plant, the only species of the genus Heather of the Heather family, which today has about 500 varieties, many of which have high decorative qualities. Heather grows in Europe, stretching from the tundra to the zone of coniferous-deciduous forests, in Greenland, North Africa, the Azores, in the temperate zone of Asia and on the Atlantic coast of North America, preferring forests, peat bogs and burnt areas. An old Scottish legend says that heather was the only plant that agreed, at the request of the Creator, to grow on bare rocky hills blown by the wind, as a reward for which it was endowed with endurance, unpretentiousness, a pleasant aroma and a modest but alluring charm. And to this day, where the heather grows, nothing else grows - large areas, covered by heather, is commonly called moorland. By the way, it was heather that gave the name to September in Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish- Veresen, verasen, wrzesien.

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Planting and caring for heather (in brief)

Landing: sowing seeds for seedlings is done at the end of March (or at the beginning of April), and after two years the grown seedlings are planted in the ground in the second half of April (or at the beginning of May), but it is still better to do this at the end of September (or at the beginning of October) .
Bloom: July August.
Lighting: bright sunlight or light partial shade.
The soil: wet peaty or dry sandy soils with pH 4.5-5.5. Heather is not grown in calcareous soils.
Watering: once every one and a half or two weeks.
Air humidity: above normal. In the heat, the plant requires evening spraying.
Top dressing: in April or May with complete mineral fertilizer.
Reproduction: dividing the bush, apical cuttings, layering and seeds.
Pests: practically unaffected.
Diseases: gray mold, powdery mildew, rust, viral infections.
Properties: heather grass has wound healing, cleansing, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, expectorant, disinfectant, anti-acid and soothing properties.

Heather plant - description

The heather plant is a strongly branching, creeping evergreen shrub from 30 to 70 cm high with small triangular leaves, as if rolled into a tube, and small, fragrant, bell-like pink-lilac flowers, collected in one-sided brushes. Heather blooms in the middle of summer, and reaches the peak of its beauty after the first frost, when its leaves acquire yellow and burgundy hues. Heather was sung in Robert Louis Stevenson's ballad Heather Honey, which we know from childhood. And let someone think that the story described in verse is fiction, but the fact that heather is a wonderful honey plant, and honey from it surpasses any other honey in healing qualities is the true truth. Landscape designers prefer to plant heather along garden paths, on alpine slides, in borders, against the background of dwarf conifers.

Growing heather from seed

Sowing heather seeds

Growing heather from seeds is a rather long and laborious process, but it inspires optimism high degree seed germination - about 90%. Heather seeds are placed in a bowl on top of a moistened substrate in a thin layer, without covering, and kept under glass until shoots appear. The best substrate for germinating seeds is a mixture of coniferous earth, sand and peat in a ratio of 1:1:2. It is necessary to keep crops at a temperature of about 20 ºC, and the first week must be created for seeds high level humidity. Sprouts begin to appear in a month. As soon as shoots appear, they begin to harden, briefly raising the glass for ventilation. As soon as the seedlings grow and begin to interfere with each other, they dive into containers or pots.

heather seedlings

With the onset of summer, the seedlings are taken out into the garden and placed in partial shade, watered as needed, and with the onset of cold weather, the container is brought into a room where the air temperature is maintained within 10-12 ºC. Heather seedlings are planted in a permanent place after two years. It should be remembered that heather from seeds does not inherit parental characteristics, but as a result of your efforts, it may appear new variety, which, quite possibly, will become your personal achievement.

Planting heather in open ground

Where and when to plant heather

The best time for planting heather in open ground is from late September to early October and from the second half of April to early May, but spring planting of heather is preferable to autumn. Heather loves open sunny areas, although it can grow in partial shade. Heather dislikes calcareous soils, preferring dry sandy or wet peaty soils. Heather does not claim to be fertile soil, however, the pH of the soil on the site should be shifted to the acid side - a pH of about 4.5-5.5. The optimal soil composition for heather is peat, sand, coniferous soil or tree bark compost in a ratio of 3:1:2. The area where heather grows should be protected from strong winds. To acidify the soil, red riding peat is added to it.

How to plant heather

Planting heather is carried out with a density of approximately 6-10 specimens per 1 m², depending on the variety. The planting depth of the heather bush is 25-35 cm, the root neck should be flush with the surface of the site. If the soil in the area is clayey, a drainage layer of broken brick or sand should be placed in each hole with a layer of 5-10 cm. After planting, water the heather seedlings at the rate of 5-6 liters of water under each heather bush and be sure to mulch the area with peat or wood chips conifers. It remains to be added that heather does not tolerate transplanting well, so try to think through all the actions and comply with all the requirements of agricultural technology so that heather does not have to be transplanted.

Heather Care

Heather cultivation

Heather roots are short and unable to extract moisture from the depths of the soil, therefore, in the absence of regular rainfall, heather needs to be watered with acidified water - the soil on the site should always be in a slightly wet state. It is this reason that makes it necessary to mulch the soil in the heath. In addition, the mulch protects the soil in the area from overheating on hot days. Watering is carried out once every one and a half to two weeks. After moistening the soil, it is desirable to loosen the soil to a depth of 10-15 cm with the simultaneous removal of weeds. Loosening and weeding is carried out through the mulch. In the hot season, heather can suffer from too dry air, so it responds well to nightly spraying. As for top dressing, then every year in the spring (in April-May) a complete mineral fertilizer at the rate of 20-30 g / m² or 1.5-2 tablespoons for each mature plant. This is done in this way: dry fertilizers are scattered over the area, trying not to get on the leaves and heather flowers, otherwise burns may occur on them. Then the fertilizers are covered with mulch, and the site is watered abundantly. Heather needs an annual spring pruning, maintaining the desired shape and stimulating the growth of young shoots. However, intensive pruning of heather begins only from the third year after planting. Try to keep the shape of the crown. The haircut is done as follows: the heather inflorescence is held by the top with the left hand, and 2/3 or half of the inflorescence is cut off with the right hand. Plant clippings can be chopped up and scattered around the site as an additional mulch.

Diseases and pests of heather

Heathers are resistant to diseases and pests and are rarely affected, mainly by fungi or viruses. Most often, heather suffers from gray rot, and this occurs from stagnation of water in the roots, if the soil on the site does not have good water permeability, and in spring the snow melts too quickly. Gray rot appears as a bloom on the shoots, their death and falling leaves. As a fight against the disease, heather treatment with fungicides is used, among which Fundazol, Topaz have the best effect, and with a stronger lesion, plants are sprayed with a one percent solution of copper sulphate. This treatment is carried out three times with an interval of 5-10 days. Good results are obtained by preventive spraying of heather with fungicides in the spring, after removing the shelter from it, and in late autumn, before preparing the heather for wintering.

When heather is affected by powdery mildew, young shoots begin to dry out, and the leaves become covered with a whitish loose coating. Red-brown spots on the leaves indicate infection of heather with rust. Both powdery mildew and rust are fungal diseases, so you need to fight them with fungicides, as well as gray mold.

If you notice deformed shoots or flowers on the heather, if the color of the flowers and leaves has become uneven and uncharacteristic for the heather variety, you are most likely dealing with viral disease which, alas, is incurable. Dig up diseased bushes and burn them, and spill the place where they grew with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

But if your heather grows on soil suitable for it and receives appropriate care, no diseases are terrible for it.

heather breeding

We have already described the process of seed reproduction of heather. Heather also reproduces vegetatively - by dividing the bush, layering and cuttings. Apical cuttings are taken at the end of summer from the strongest non-flowering branches and rooted in pots with a mixture of sand and peat (1: 3), maintaining the temperature in the room within 15-18 ºC, and the soil in a slightly damp state. Once a month and a half, feed the cuttings with a solution of urea at the rate of 1 g per 1 liter of water and micronutrient fertilizers. In spring, rooted cuttings can be planted in open ground.

Heather often propagates by layering itself, without any effort on your part: over time, its old branches fall to the ground and take root themselves. If you want to carry out this type of reproduction, bend the lowest of the mature shoots, pin them to the soil and cover with a centimeter layer of peat, and after a year separate the finished seedling from the mother bush and transplant to a new place.

The easiest way to propagate heather is to divide the rhizome. You can also carry it out at the end of summer: dig out a mature bush and, without clearing the roots from the ground, cut it into pieces so that each division has young shoots and roots. The old stems are cut before planting, and the delenki are planted in separate holes, having previously processed the cuts with crushed coal.

Heather after flowering

In warm areas, heather hibernates without shelter, but if you have frosty winters, and even without snow, then it is better to play it safe and prepare heather for wintering. To do this, after the onset of cold weather, spread peat around the heather bushes, and cover the bushes themselves with spruce branches, which will prevent them from freezing in winter, and in early spring will protect them from sunburn. Remove shelter from heather in April.

Types and varieties of heather

There is only one species in the genus - common heather (Calluna vulgaris). Very often, heather is called the erica related to it, as well as its species and varieties, but no matter how erics are similar to heather, these are still other plants. The common heather species is represented by a huge number of excellent varieties - today there are about five hundred of them. Gardeners divide them into six groups.

Group one. Heather varieties with green leaves:

Allegro- an evergreen shrub up to 60 cm high and a crown diameter of about half a meter. The bark is dark brown, the crown is dense, compact, the leaves are dark green, scaly. It blooms from late July to late October with simple, brilliant carmine-red flowers in long inflorescences. The variety is winter-hardy, requires shelter for the winter only at a young age;
Carmen- Dutch hybrid variety, the most popular in Europe. The crown is rounded, the height of the bush is 30-40 cm, the bark is dark brown, the leaves are small, dark green, the flowers are simple, purple-pink, on peduncles more than 10 cm long. Winter-hardy, but it is better to cover for the winter.

In addition to the described varieties of this group, Radnor, Duckness, Ross Hutton, Mazurka, Marco, Barnett Enley, Hookston and others are also popular.

Group two. Varieties with in green leaves and white flowers.

Alba- upright shrub up to 40 cm tall with a crown diameter of up to 55 cm, with ascending branches, bright green leaves and dense racemes of white flowers;
Alexandra- spherical bushes up to 30 cm high and crown diameter up to 40 cm with dark green leaves and creamy flowers, which acquire a dark red hue by the end of flowering.

Such varieties of the group are also known: White Lone, Humpty Dumpty, Long White, Alec Martin, Alba Jay and others.

Group three. Varieties with silvery leaves.

Silver Knight- an English variety up to 30 cm high and a crown diameter up to 45 cm with a compact cushion-shaped crown, dark brown bark, fluffy, silver-gray leaves that acquire a burgundy hue in winter. The flowers are simple, lilac or light purple, inflorescences up to 20 cm long. It is winter-hardy, but requires shelter in cold winters;
Peter Sparks- also an English variety up to half a meter high and up to 60 cm in diameter. The crown is oval, the bark is dark brown, the leaves are small, scaly, dark green in summer and autumn, and gray-green in spring and winter. The flowers are double, dark pink in color, densely collected in inflorescences up to 30 cm long. Moderately winter hardy.

Also popular varieties of this group are Annmarie, Velvet Fashion, Jan Dekker, Glendwick Silver and others.

Fourth group. Varieties with golden leaves.

Andrew Proudley- up to 15 cm high and about 25 cm in diameter with thin broadly ascending branches. The leaves, orange with pale yellow tips in warm weather, take on a bronze hue in winter. small flowers pink are collected in loose inflorescences;
Boskup- Dutch variety up to 40 cm high, up to 50 cm in diameter with a compact crown, dark brown bark, yellow-green leaves in summer, which turn copper-red in autumn. The flowers are simple, pink-lilac, collected in short, slightly branched inflorescences up to 10 cm long. Moderately winter-hardy.

The varieties Aura, Arran Gold, Blazeway, Crimson Sunset, Gold Hayes, Cottswood Gold and others are also of interest.

Fifth group. Varieties with double flowers.

Autumn Glow- a sprawling shrub up to 30 cm high and a crown diameter of about 45 cm with branches rising at the ends. The leaves are dark green, densely double light purple flowers are collected in short dense brushes;
Monica- a wide-spreading bush with a diameter of up to 80 cm and a height of about 55 cm. The branches are strong, broadly ascending, the leaves are dark green, in winter - with gray coating. Very large double flowers in dense brushes of a pinkish-red hue.

Other varieties in demand in the culture: Red Favorite, Dark Star, Alba Plena, Joan Sparks, County Wicklow.

Group six. Varieties with indehiscent flowers.

David Eason- a spherical bush up to 20 cm high and a crown diameter up to 25 cm, with numerous ascending branches, dark green leaves and pinkish-lilac flowers of a dark shade, collected in short brushes;
Marlin- German variety up to 30 cm high, crown diameter up to 50 cm. The bark is dark brown, the leaves are small, dark green. The never opening buds are bright purple or purplish pink.

Other varieties: Romina, Minima, Fritz Kircher.

heather properties

The healing properties of heather are in demand by both folk and traditional medicine. It is used to treat cough, kidney disease, cystitis, pyelitis, urethritis, dysentery, diarrhea, gastritis, enterocolitis, rheumatism, gout, and skin diseases. Flowering heather is harvested from late June to September - it is at this time that it contains the maximum amount useful substances: flavonoids, mineral salts of phosphorus, potassium, calcium and sodium, organic acids. These substances endow heather with a disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, wound-healing, diuretic, expectorant, cleansing, astringent and soothing effect.

Heather decoction is used for insomnia and disorders nervous system, with atherosclerosis of blood vessels, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, hyperacidity, cholecystitis and obesity. Inflammation of the mouth and throat is removed by rinsing with a decoction, and for tuberculosis, an alcohol infusion of heather is used inside. Powder from crushed heather flowers is used to treat ulcers, wounds, eczema and burns. Heather baths are prescribed for sciatica. An infusion of heather flowers, rubbed into the scalp, slows down the process of hair loss and improves their appearance.

Heather has no contraindications, but before taking drugs from it, it is better to consult an experienced doctor. It is not recommended to use heather inside for people with low acidity of gastric juice.