Calluna vulgaris Madonna - Heather

Calluna vulgaris Garden Girls® 'Madonna' is a summer heather from the prolific Garden Girls series, part of the 'Summer Line' range with earlier flowering, starting from August. Another characteristic of this variety: its larger flower buds on a more compact plant. Its long-lasting, pure white flowering illuminates dark green evergreen foliage. The flowering period lasts for 3 months. Its closed and unpollinated flower buds are weather-resistant. Plant it in rock gardens, borders, or in a pretty pot on a patio, in acidic and well-drained soil or substrate.

Calluna vulgaris 'Madonna' belongs to the Ericaceae family. Its ancestor is the common heather, the only species of the Calluna genus. In its natural habitat, it is the dominant vegetation of heathlands in the cold regions of the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. 'Madonna' is an evergreen shrub that forms small, bushy, compact and upright shrubs, reaching about 30cm (12in) in height and 40cm (16in) in width after 3 years of cultivation. Decorative all year round thanks to its beautiful evergreen foliage, this cultivar blooms from late August to October-November. Its flower buds are arranged in upright and flexible spikes. The yellowish-green to golden colour of its foliage is very bright. 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.

Calluna vulgaris 'Madonna' is a light and refined plant, which 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 also pairs nicely with dwarf asters in autumn and small grasses, in rock gardens, on banks, or in informal borders. In an ericaceous bed, 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".