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Calluna vulgaris Winter Chocolate - Heather

Calluna vulgaris Winter Chocolate
Heather, Ling, Scottish Heather

5,0/5
3 reviews
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Well-rooted plants, in good shape. Small, but it's not a problem.

Laurent, 29/01/2023

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This plant carries a 12 months recovery warranty

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Value-for-money
Calluna vulgaris 'Winter Chocolate' is a truly amazing variety, which is as attractive for its evergreen foliage with evolving colours as it is for its flowering. From August to October, it offers abundant spikes of purple to violet flowers, which contrast remarkably with its yellow-gold to bronze foliage. In winter, the foliage turns reddish-brown. Decorative all year round and hardy, it will be perfect in rockeries, flower beds, borders or pots.
Flower size
6 cm
Height at maturity
40 cm
Spread at maturity
50 cm
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -34°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil
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Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time February to May, September to November
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Flowering time August to October
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Description

Calluna vulgaris 'Winter Chocolate', also known as Common Heather or Heather, is a truly amazing variety that attracts attention both for its flowering and its ever-changing evergreen foliage. From August to October, it produces abundant purple to violet flower spikes, which contrast remarkably with its golden yellow to bronze foliage. In winter, it turns reddish-brown. This cultivar is colourful and decorative all year round. It structures and brightens up somewhat dreary flower beds in winter. Extremely hardy, it is a plant for harsh climates and acidic soils, with a compact growth habit, designed to withstand the wind.

 

Calluna vulgaris, the only species in the Calluna genus belonging to the Ericaceae family, is the dominant vegetation in barren heathlands in the cold regions of the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. 'Winter Chocolate' is one of its many cultivars. This evergreen shrub forms small, bushy, slightly unkempt bushes, reaching a height of 0.4 m (1.3 ft) and a width of 0.5 m (1.6 ft). It has a relatively slow growth rate. Decorative all year round, it offers purple buds that turn into pale lavender flowers in summer, grouped in erect, compact yet flexible spikes. The scaly foliage starts off orange tinged with salmon-red in spring, becoming chartreuse green to orange-yellow in summer, igniting into bronze in autumn and finishing the year with a beautiful chocolate brown-red. 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.

 

Summer heather 'Winter Chocolate' is an original and surprising cultivar that will thrive in acidic soil, in low-maintenance gardens and wild areas, bringing colour throughout the year. It can be planted in groups with other varieties and cultivars (there are countless ones). To achieve a long winter flowering, one can imitate nature by combining common heather and ash-coloured heather, changing the landscape colours during their blooming period. It will brighten up rockeries and borders along paths. It adapts very well to pot cultivation and will create beautiful seasonal compositions in flower boxes. Planted in acidic soil flower beds, it will cover the base of rhododendrons or witch hazels. You can create charming, slightly wild scenes by planting 'Winter Chocolate' alongside grasses, ferns, and dwarf conifers at the base of white birch trees.

 

Calluna vulgaris can withstand moderate grazing. It is an important source of food for sheep and deer when the vegetation is covered in snow. It is capable of regenerating after a fire. In the past, this plant was considered magical and used in white magic rituals; it was believed to have protective powers, such as in the Breton heathlands, where it is said to ward off ghostly spirits. 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 bladder stones".

 

Calluna vulgaris Winter Chocolate - Heather in pictures

Calluna vulgaris Winter Chocolate - Heather (Foliage) Foliage

Flowering

Flower colour violet
Flowering time August to October
Inflorescence Spike
Flower size 6 cm
Fragrance slightly scented
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour orange
Aromatic? Fragrant foliage when creased

Plant habit

Height at maturity 40 cm
Spread at maturity 50 cm
Growth rate slow

Botanical data

Genus

Calluna

Species

vulgaris

Cultivar

Winter Chocolate

Family

Ericaceae

Other common names

Heather, Ling, Scottish Heather

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference894181

Other Calluna - Common Heather

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Planting and care

Heather is a characteristic plant of heathlands, blanket bogs, and pine forests. A covering of shredded bark or turf is useful in the coldest regions. It requires light and sandy soil, without limestone, well-drained and truly acidic, with a pH between 4 and 6 (for example, composed of 1/3 ericaceous soil, 1/3 non-limestone vegetal soil, and 1/3 sand). This variety thrives in sunny or partially shaded exposure. In colder regions, it can be planted in full sun, while in hot climates, a partially shaded exposure is preferable. A well-established plant will tolerate some drought for a short period. It will not survive if planted in heavy and poorly drained soil, as this plant is sensitive to root rot. To maintain a dense and compact habit, the plant can be lightly pruned in late winter or just after flowering, although this is not essential.

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Planting period

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time February to May, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Rockery, Woodland edge
Type of use Edge of border, Free-standing, Container, Slope
Hardiness Hardy down to -34°C (USDA zone 4) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 5 per m2
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Acidic
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Moist soil, porous, sandy

Care

Pruning No pruning necessary
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
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