Calluna vulgaris Allegro - Heather

Calluna vulgaris 'Allegro', also known as Common Heather or Ling, is distinguished by its evergreen foliage with a fine texture, evolving from green to purple-bronze in autumn. It blossoms in late summer with bell-shaped flowers in a vibrant red-pink colour, above a prostrate to creeping growth. It is a magnificent plant all year round, which over time forms a beautiful ground cover for ericaceous beds. This less hardy variety is sensitive to freezing winds and thrives in acidic soil, in full sun or partial shade.

Calluna vulgaris, the only species in the Calluna genus belonging to the Ericaceae family, constitutes, in its natural habitat, the dominant vegetation of barren heathlands in the cold regions of the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. 'Allegro' is one of its many cultivars. This evergreen shrub forms small, bushy and slightly dishevelled tufts, reaching a height of at least 40 cm (15.7 in) and a width of 50 cm (19.7 in). Its growth is relatively slow. Ornamental throughout the year, it stands out for the changing colouration of its fine and scaly foliage, which is medium green in spring and turns reddish-bronze with the first cold weather. Its late flowering occurs from September and lasts until November. Its small closed bell-shaped flowers are densely clustered in upright, compact but flexible spikes, and have a pinkish-red colour. It is a honey plant, used in beekeeping due to the high sugar content of its nectar. Heather honey is characterised by its gelatinous texture and dark colour.

The remarkable winter flowering heather 'Allegro' is used planted in groups with other cultivars (they are countless). To achieve a long winter flowering, one can imitate nature by mixing common heather with bell heather, Erica cinerea, and its varieties, changing the colour of the landscapes they form during their flowering period. It brightens up rockeries and borders along pathways. It adapts very well to container gardening and will create beautiful seasonal compositions. Planted in ericaceous beds, it will cover the base of rhododendrons or witch hazels. By planting Calluna 'Allegro' alongside grasses, ferns, and dwarf conifers at the foot of silver birch trees, you can create charming, slightly wild scenes.

Calluna vulgaris tolerates moderate grazing. It represents an important source of food for sheep and deer when vegetation is covered by snow. It is capable of regenerating after fire. In the past, this plant was considered magical and used in white magic rituals; it was believed to have protective powers in the heathlands of Brittany, where it is said to repel ghostly spirits. Calluna is also an ingredient in gruit, an aromatic composition used in brewing beer before the use of hops in the Middle Ages. Its flowering tops have long been used in herbal medicine, as they are reputed to "dissolve bladder stones".