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Thursday, 28 April 2011

Good plant #67 - Calluna Vulgaris 'Wickwar Flame'


The most attractive feature of this Scottish heather is that its leaves turn a golden red-ish colour in autumn/winter. It also produces flowers which can start from July and keep going until nearly Christmas!

It is worth keeping this gorgeous heather in trim by pruning old flower stems to an inch or two above old growth in March or April. I use sharp scissors for pruning heathers and try to maintain shapely domes. Feed it with ericaceous fertilzer after pruning.

This plant must be planted in acidic fertile soil. The way to guarantee this is to dig a large planting hole and fill it with ericaceous compost and top soil that has no lime in it.

You can take cuttings in summer with material that hasn't produced flower stems.

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