Spring Torch Heather

Spring Torch Scotch Heather is a small evergreen shrub with amazing bright colors on the new branches. They begin bright reds and oranges, turning to lighter peaches and pinks, and then become primrose yellow. By early summer they are dark green – just in time for the lilac-pink blooms to take over and last into the fall. Flowers attract hordes of bees and butterflies and make premium honey. A perfect plant for covering banks and rocky slopes with color, or for edging shrub beds. If you don’t have suitable soil for it, grow plants in pots or planter boxes.

• Spring foliage is red, orange, peach-pink and yellow
• Lavender-pink flowers in summer and fall
• Excellent ground cover for poor, sandy soils
• Salt-resistant, and great for seaside gardens
• Deer and pest proof too

Plant the Spring Torch Scotch Heather in full sun, or with a little afternoon shade. Grow it in zones 4, 5 and 6 in the east, and in zones 7 and 8 in the northwest. Plant in well-drained soil that is moist, but can be low-nutrient. The pH should be between 4.5 and 5.5, but up to 6.5 it can be grown well by adding lots of peat moss and pine needles. Drought tolerant once established, and resistant to salt spray. Free of problems from deer, pests or diseases. Trim in early spring before new growth appears.