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Alpine RockeryShrubs

Calluna vulgaris 'Athene'^PBR (Garden Girls Series)

heather 'Athene'

A compact evergreen shrublet with upright stems of tiny linear moderate green leaves. These produce long racemes of small reddish flower buds within a dark red calyx which never open (bud-blooming) from September November

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Ericaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy, Spreading branched
Genus: Calluna are low-growing or dwarf evergreen shrubs with stems clothed in tiny overlapping leaves, and terminal, spike-like racemes of small, 4-petalled flowers with coloured calyces
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained acidic soil in full sun. Flowers swell to bud, but do not open.

Propagation

Sow seed in spring. Propagate by division, layering shoots in spring/summer or planting softwood cuttings in a cold frame in summer.

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Patio and container plants
Wildlife gardens
Rock garden
Banks and slopes
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Trim off old flowering stems after flowering to keep compact. Pruning group 10.

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely) and other fungal diseases

Get involved

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