Once you witness the blazing intensity of this bushy mat-forming beauty there’s no disputing its name. Summer paints sun-kissed gold and orange shades on dense needle-shaped foliage bejeweled with late blooming soft lavender-colored flowers, while frosty nights imbue radiant dark crimson reds to heat up the coldest winter day. ‘Blazeaway’ can be massed near Calluna vulgaris ‘Firefly’ and Calluna vulgaris ‘Wickwar Flame’ and juxtaposed against the dark greenery of Erica cinerea ‘Purple Beauty’ for a fulgent quilt-like spectacle.

Blooms August–September

Size: 12" high x 15" – 18" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

This relatively new small-sized Heather makes a prismatic four season statement. Known as a ‘bud bloomer’ producing copious plump buds that don’t actually open, ‘Bonita’s snug tidy hummock signals late summer with gorgeous long-lasting reddish magenta buds. Stunning saffron, burnt orange and old gold shades enliven the fine-textured foliage and when cold weather arrives bronze tones provide additional cozy accents.

Blooms August–September

Size: 12" – 18" high x 18" – 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Named for the Oregon nursery where it originated, this reliable American cultivar offers striking crimson flowers that nearly obscure its low mound of handsome greenery. ‘Corbett’s Red’ is a compact, spreading Heather whose richly hued blooms can be partnered with Spiraea ‘Ogon’.

Blooms August–September

Size: 12" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

With full bodied colors similar to a fine Pinot Noir, this enticing beauty queen flaunts the darkest hued flower of all Callunas. Deep red buds reveal showy and plentiful, semidouble dark cherry blooms that shade to ruby amid a good-looking, compact forest-green silhouette. Earning Holland’s prestigious Gold Medal award, ‘Dark Beauty’ will beckon you to her side whether she’s poised in the rockery, along a pathway or in a container.

Blooms August–October

Size: 8" – 10" high x 14" – 16" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Celebrating some of the most vibrant brick-red foliage among the species, ‘Firefly’ never fails to snap us out of a gray winter-day funk. Sensational warm shades ranging from salmon to terracotta suffuse the leaves the rest of the year, while deep mauve flowers spangle its dense upright frame in late summer. A champion of Britain’s sought-after AGM, this vividly colored Heather merits a choice niche in your garden.

Blooms August–September

Size: 18" high x 20" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Welcoming spring, young growing tips dress up with striking pink and fiery red hues that look resplendent against the more mature dark green foliage. Lavender-colored flowers make a late summer appearance and extend this upright cultivar’s lively display of color.

Blooms August–September

Size: 12" high x 20" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Named for the owner of the former British nursery Maxwell & Beale, this shapely AGM recipient has graced gardens since 1925 and remains nearly everyone’s favorite Calluna. Small linear gray-green leaves clothe a compact dense-growing habit that promotes upright spiky racemes of lovely shell-pink double flowers. Emphasizing soft hues, ‘H. E. Beale’s profuse long-lasting pastel blooms blend with summertime color schemes, and in winter the mauve-infused evergreen foliage further extends the soothing tones.

Blooms July–September

Size: 18" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Without a doubt, this AGM winner plays host to the most lovely double white flowers in the genus. Slowly opening, tiny buds reveal long, downward curving frosty blooms, illuminating the fine textured, bright green foliage that possesses a mounding habit, and in winter, bronze dipped tips.

Blooms July – August

Size: 16" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Forming a dense low mat of showy bright green foliage, ‘Martha Herman’ is outstanding as a foil or accent with other Heathers and Heaths. Snow white flowers and horizontal spread are the icing on the cake. A real find!

Blooms July–August

Size: 12" high x 2-1/2' wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

With a nod to its name, this tailored low spreading Calluna serves up scarlet spring growth, then gilt, copper and lime laden leaves for the warmer months along with tiny pale mauve late summer flowers. Lucent colors announce winter in orange and red shades, easily igniting a bleak chilly day. Rarely offered and slow growing, ‘Multicolor’ can be planted alongside dark green evergreen companions, tucked amid rocks or massed atop a wall.

Blooms August–September

Size: 6" high x 12" – 15" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Offering a clean and classic look in the garden, this Calluna’s frosty-white spires make prized additions to fresh or dried arrangements. Later to flower than most Heathers, the elegant fall blooms are showcased against attractive deep green foliage on upright branches. For varied forms, its pert stance can be coupled with Acaena saccaticupula’s low-lying, silvery-blue leaves.

Blooms September–October

Size: 16" high x 18" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Distinctive for its opulent finery, 'Red Star' flashes deep purplish red double blooms on long upright flower spikes near summer's end, earning this attractive somewhat open growing Calluna its name. Tiny dapper leaves craft a dark forest green foil that offsets the vivid blossoms and counterposes lime and golden-leafed Heathers, such as Calluna vulgaris 'Blazeaway' to great effect.

Blooms August–September

Size: 12" – 18" high x 18" – 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Heralding handsome woolly gray foliage throughout the year, this knightly cultivar is yet another J. W. Sparkes introduction. Colder weather paints violet tinges on the leaves, while late summer finds upright branches studded with purple flowers near the tips. Plant ‘Silver Knight’ alongside deep green companions such as Calluna vulgaris ‘Dark Beauty’ and Erica ‘Rackliff’ and a captivating contrast is yours to enjoy.

Blooms August–September

Size: 20" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Bursting with lush growth in spring, ‘Sister Anne’s gray-green foliage makes a composed backdrop for her dainty light pink flowers. Cold weather adds a hint of purple to the dense low-mounding form that can be ensconced along pathways or tucked into rocky nooks.

Blooms July–September

Size: 6" high x 18" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

New foliage growth blazes orange-yellow, maturing to deep green, with medium pink flower spikes on a loosely mounding form.

Blooms July–August

Size: 20" high x 2-1/2' wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Way back in 1938, Miss Isabel Young, who was nicknamed Tib, happened upon this exceptional Heather in Scotland’s Pentland Hills. Unparalleled as a cut flower, either fresh or dried, the splendid rosy-crimson double blooms, borne on long, erect slender stems, festoon a compact bushy mound of fine textured dark green foliage. Eventually claiming a coveted AGM, ‘Tib’ has withstood the test of time and promises to be a champion in your garden, especially when set against the varied foliage of other Callunas such as Calluna ‘Firefly’ and Calluna ‘Sister Anne’.

Blooms July–September

Size: 18" – 2' 0" high x 2' 0" – 2-1/2' wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

With so many upright and horizontal stems, this Heather has an especially wild appearance in its youth. When it matures, however, it develops into a dense, tight mound of unusual foliage: burnt orange-yellow on the upper half and lime-green below, where it is protected from the sun.

During the winter months the color intensifies, making the shrub appear almost as though it’s on fire. During the summer, the color spectrum is extended with lavender- pink flowers blooming along the upper portion of the stems.

Blooms late July–August

Size: 15" high x 2-1/2' wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

A delightful melding of warm colors, ‘Winter Chocolate’ is a year-round marvel in our Heather garden. Radiantly bedecked with chartreuse, chocolate and golden hues for winter, spring’s new growth brings creamy salmon-red tips. As the days grow longer, the foliar shades broaden to an alluring range of orange, pink and yellow, toned by bright green. As if this isn’t enough, soft lavender blossoms just about engulf the plant in late summer.

Blooms August–October

Size: 12" – 20" high x 18" – 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

A beacon of dazzling color, the low-to-the-ground mat is cloaked in distinctive needlelike foliage set aglow with gilded yellow hues and bronzy red tips. Resulting as a sport from ‘Vivellii’ and named by J. W. Sparkes in 1955 for his sister-in-law, this lambent beauty is further heightened when her carmine-red racemes unfurl, cheering up a drab winter landscape.

Blooms February – March

Size: 6" – 9" high x 12" – 15" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

This shining starlet guarantees a year-round performance. Bred by Germany’s Kurt Kramer, ‘Golden Starlet’ is favored for its bright golden foliage, snowy white blooms and tidy, low spreading habit. During the summer months, the leaves attain a glowing yellow hue, while cooler weather brings lime-green accents and splendid flowers that last all winter.

Blooms December–March

Size: 6" high x 16" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

Deemed one of the loveliest and most decorative Heaths, this highly touted Erica displays bright rosy red flowers on a tidy, compact mound of Yew green foliage. Be sure to reserve a prominent spot for ‘King George’s abundant blooms, so you can easily relish them during winters’ gray days.

Blooms December–March

Size: 6" – 9" high x 18" – 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

Donning the name of a castle in Wigton, Scotland, ‘Myretoun Ruby’s low-spreading forest-green needles and deep reddish purple blooms achieve a gem-like richness. Perhaps the darkest red flowering carnea in cultivation, this Erica’s saturated blossoms age with bright crimson highlights. Nestle beside Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’, and relish the cold weather splendor.

Blooms December–March

Size: 10" – 12" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

Distinguished by large two-toned blooms and a robust yet gracious form, ‘Pink Spangles’ paints the winter garden with a truly dynamic floral display. Winsome medium green foliage comprises the superb low spreading ground cover, while myriad lime-colored buds introduce pretty shell-pink sepals and rosier pink petals.

Blooms January–March

Size: 9" – 12" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

The result of some meticulous Erica ‘Snow Queen’ and Erica ‘Springwood White’ hybridizing by legendary plantsman Kurt Kramer, this compact much improved cultivar is near the top of many plant lover’s favorite Erica list. German for snow peak, ‘Schneekuppe’ commands its name when a long lasting avalanche of urn-shaped pure white flowers tumbles over low well-groomed bright green foliage. Tailor-made for tight spots, the rockery or drifts, its hardy easy-care foundation imparts illuminated floral accents during the winter months plus cream-colored new foliar growth as a spring bonus.

Blooms January–March

Size: 6" high x 12" – 15" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

Clear pink flowers engulf the forest-green foliage, followed by vigorous spring growth that sprouts bright bronze. Pair it in a drift with ‘Springwood White’.

Blooms October–January

Size: 10" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

Delighting gardeners since 1930, this all-time favorite hosts creamy buds and white flowers. ‘Springwood White’ forms a robust fast growing ground cover that handles inland heat and tough conditions. Calluna ‘Martha Herman’ is its best mate.

Blooms October–January

Size: 10" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

This Heath brings carmine red flowers that cover a low spreading form. Its deep green summer foliage bronzes after the first frost. Match this gem with white varieties.

Blooms October–January

Size: 12" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

Distinctive for its deep green, fine textured foliage and pleasing appearance, this summer blooming Erica was named in honor of the man who discovered it—Australian born Charles Eason. Very tiny short needles and slender branches make an ideal foil for the freely borne, dense clusters of glowing dark pink flowers.

Blooms June – September

Size: 12" high x 15" – 20" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

It was a British couple, Mr. and Mrs. Letts, whose keen eyes first noted this summer-flowering beauty in the wilds of Cornwall and later introduced it. Ample-sized, more than abundant and long blooming, the luminous amethyst flowers sparkle like jewels upon the vigorous dark green needle-like foliage that defines ‘Purple Beauty’s exquisite, low bushy form.

Blooms June–October

Size: 12" high x 22" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

Introduced by Englishman John Letts, ‘Furzey’s saturated flower color is unparalleled among Ericas. The profusion of deep magenta blooms decorate a fine-needled forest-green clump that grows in a winsome spreading manner.

Blooms October–January

Size: 12" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

Named for Kurt Kramer of Germany, this ornate Heath’s plushly colored flowers outclass most other Erica cultivars. Stiff branches hold dark green foliage, enhanced in winter by bronze highlights and closely set chartreuse buds that open into cerise-magenta blooms.

Blooms November–January

Size: 15" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

We have Ireland’s James W. Porter to thank for this attractive low spreading Erica. Light-colored buds precede dainty deep lilac urns, studding ‘Margaret Porter’s attractive mid-green needles, which burnish bronzy hues during the winter months.

Blooms January–May

Size: 10" high x 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

Discovered as a chance seedling at the British nursery, Holden Clough, and named for the owners’ daughter, this outstanding well-formed cultivar is distinguished by erect racemes of dainty rose-pink blooms and lucent short-needled golden-yellow leaves that brandish warm bronze shades during the colder months. The x darleyensis hybrids combine ironclad constitutions with innate good looks, conquering variable moisture levels plus an array of soil types far better than most Ericas, and spirited ‘Mary Helen’ is a fetching example. Highly effective when massed, her stylish countenance lends colorful year-round allure to a stone wall, Heather garden or mixed border.

Blooms February–April

Size: 10" high x 18" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

This lambent Erica ‘W. T. Rackliff’ sport was introduced by nursery owner John Letts in 1964. Sprinkled with urn-shaped pure white blooms, ‘Golden Lady’ develops a shapely low mound of fine textured needle-like foliage, colored in light yellow, gold, chartreuse and green hues that persist throughout the year.

Blooms January–April

Size: 10" – 18" high x 10" – 18" wide.

Hardy to zone 7.

The pristine white flowers stand out against the deep green foliage, yet we favor this Heath for its form, which clumps to an almost spherical mound.

Blooms October–January

Size: 18" high x 18" wide.

Hardy to zone 7.

Applauded throughout the world as one of the most cherished Heaths, this Erica’s deep cherry red blooms have as much charm as the story behind them. Mrs. Maxwell’s discerning eye first spotted its robust good-looking form while on her honeymoon in Cornwall, England and promptly sent home cuttings! Elevated above a low, deep green bush, the long upright racemes of cylindrically arranged, irresistible blooms open from the bottom up and when spent, persist through the winter burnished in russet brown hues.

Blooms July–September

Size: 18" – 2' 0" high x 2' 0" – 2-1/2' wide.

Hardy to zone 5.