Calluna vulgaris Bonita - Heather

Calluna vulgaris 'Bonita', a variety of common heather or ling, is a recent German variety with a late flowering. Its changing foliage is remarkable. Yellow in late winter, it turns orange in spring and reddish-orange in late summer. Its purple-pink flowers remain closed bells. It is a floriferous and evergreen shrub, with low growth, showing a rather irregular habit, both upright and spreading. It is extremely hardy and is perfectly suited to acidic soils and harsh climates.

Calluna vulgaris is the only species in the genus Calluna belonging to the Ericaceae family. In its natural habitat, it is the dominant vegetation of acidic heathlands in the cold regions of the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. 'Bonita' is one of its many cultivars. This evergreen shrub forms small, bushy, slightly dishevelled plants, 25 cm (9.8 in) tall and 35 cm (13.8 in) wide. Its growth is quite slow. Decorative all year round, it stands out for the changing colouration of its scaly foliage. It is bright yellow-orange in spring, acidic green in summer, and takes on reddish hues at the first sign of cold weather. Its late flowering takes place from September and lasts until November-December. The small, bright and light purple bells remain closed, and are densely grouped in upright, compact but flexible spikes.

Attractive and remarkable for its long flowering as well as its foliage, 'Bonita' can be planted in groups with other varieties and cultivars. It will brighten up rockeries and borders along pathways. It adapts very well to container gardening and will form beautiful seasonal compositions in pots and planters. Planted in ericaceous beds, it will cover the base of rhododendrons or witch hazels. You can create charming, somewhat wild scenes by planting 'Bonita' alongside grasses, ferns and dwarf conifers at the foot of silver birch trees. 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.

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".