Calluna vulgaris Garden Girls Angie - Heather

Calluna vulgaris Garden Girls® 'Angie' is a summer heather whose flower buds appear in late summer and remain closed. These unpollinated buds do not deteriorate and can withstand autumnal weather. Flowering lasts up to 4 months, from August to November. 'Angie' develops evergreen, slender and ornamental dark green foliage. Dark red flower buds sit scattered on its leafy stems. In harmony with all warm autumn colours, it can be planted in rock gardens, borders, or in a pretty pot on a patio. Plant it in well-drained acidic soil or substrate.

Calluna vulgaris Garden Girls® 'Angie' belongs to the Ericaceae family. Its ancestor, the common heather, is the only species of the genus Calluna. In its natural habitat, it is the dominant vegetation of barren heathlands in the cold regions of the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. 'Angie' is an evergreen shrub that forms small, curly bushes with a wide and erect habit, reaching about 60cm (24in) in height and 50cm (20in) in width after 3 years of cultivation. Decorative all year round thanks to its beautiful evergreen foliage, this cultivar flowers from August to November. Its flower buds are arranged in upright and flexible spikes. The dark green colour of its foliage enhances its intense and dark red flowering. Its nectar contains a high sugar content, making this honey-bearing plant invaluable in beekeeping. Heather honey is characterised by its gelatinous texture and dark colour.

The Garden Girls 'Angie' summer heather is a light and refined plant that thrives in any acidic, moist to dry soil, in full sun or partial shade. It brings elegance to wild areas of the garden as well as to weekend or low-maintenance gardens. Beautiful when planted en masse with other species and varieties, it pairs nicely with dwarf asters and small grasses in rock gardens, on banks, or in informal borders. In acidic soil beds, it can be planted at the base of witch hazels, pieris or Skimmia japonica. Plant it in pots and containers on a patio or balcony to create autumnal floral compositions with small perennials and bulbs.

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