Calluna vulgaris Marleen - Heather

Calluna vulgaris 'Marleen', a variety of Common Heather, bears dark green evergreen foliage and closed bell-shaped flowers, which are white with reddish-purple tips. It is decorative all year round, particularly in winter. It is an extremely hardy plant, perfectly adapted 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. 'Marleen' is one of its many cultivars. This evergreen shrub forms small bushy plants, with a slightly tousled habit, both upright and spreading, reaching 30 cm (11.8 in) in height and 50 cm (19.7 in) in width. Its growth is quite slow. Decorative all year round, it stands out for its late flowering, which takes place from September and extends until November-December. Its small closed bells are white with a red dot and then turn purple. They are densely clustered on upright, compact but flexible spikes. Its dark green foliage is evergreen and scaly, similar to that of a small conifer.

Noteworthy for its long pink flowering as well as its dark foliage, 'Marleen' is perfect when planted in groups with other varieties and cultivars (they are countless). For a long winter flowering, one can imitate nature by mixing common heather and ash-coloured heather, changing the colour of the landscapes they form at the time of their flowering. It brightens up rockeries and borders along paths. It adapts very well to cultivation in pots and in flower boxes where it will create beautiful seasonal compositions. Planted in ericaceous beds, it can cover the base of rhododendrons or witch hazels. You can create delightful, somewhat wild scenes by planting 'Marleen' together with grasses, ferns, and dwarf conifers at the base of white birches. It is a honey plant, used in beekeeping because of 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 food source for sheep and deer when the vegetation is covered in snow. It is capable of regenerating after fire. In the past, this plant was considered magical and was used in white magic rituals; it was believed to have protective powers, as in the Breton heathlands, where it is said to keep spirits away. Heather is also an ingredient in gruit, an aromatic composition used in beer brewing 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 stones in the bladder".