Practical
Plants

Erica tetralix

Bog Heather

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Erica genus in the family Ericaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Ericaceae
Genus
Erica
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
0.3 m
Spread
0.45 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects, Self

Uses

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Stems are used for making brooms, brushes etc[3]. A yellow dye is obtained from the plant[10][11]. Plants can be grown as a ground cover[9]. They should be clipped in the spring in order to encourage denser growth[9].

Product or use
Broom
Product or use
Dye

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Ground cover

Environment

Range
Western Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia to Spain east to N. Germany and Poland.
Habitat
Bogs, wet heaths and moors, rarely on drier soils[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
high
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral
Tolerances
high wind
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow in a sandy compost in a cold frame in spring. Keep moist. Prick out the plants as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them in their permanent positions when they are 5 - 8cm tall[4]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 3cm long taken from twiggy lateral growths near the base of the plant, July/August in a frame. Remove the leaves from the bottom part of the stem without causing any damage to the bark. The cuttings root in a few weeks if they are given some bottom heat. Plant out in spring[4]. Layering in spring or autumn. Plants can be 'dropped' and then dug up and divided about 6 - 12 months later. Dropping involves digging up the plant and then replanting it about 15 - 20cm deeper in the soil to encourage roots to form along the stems[12].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a light lime-free loam[1]. A calcifuge plant, requiring a pH below 6[6]. Grows best in a poor soil[4]. Resents dry soils[1], doing well in boggy areas[6]. Prefers an open situation[1]. A good bee plant[2]. There are many named forms, selected for their ornamental value[7]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981-00-00

    ↩

  3. Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.

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  4. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  6. Beckett. G. and K. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold 1979-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  7. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  9. Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-460-12609-1

    ↩1↩2

  10. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  11. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  12. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩

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