Calluna vulgaris 'Elegantissima'

RHS Plant Profile
heather 'Elegantissima'

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heather 'Elegantissima' RHS / Joanna Kossak
heather 'Elegantissima' RHS / Joanna Kossak
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Shrubs

A bushy, evergreen shrub to 45cm with bright green foliage and long, tapering, upright spires of tiny, white flowers in late summer and early autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand, Clay

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand Clay
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
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)
H7

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Ericaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Bushy
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, humus-rich, acidic soil in an open, sunny position

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Ground cover
  • Banks and slopes

Pruning

Pruning group 10, in spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

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