Photo: Alastair Rae, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Shrub · Ericaceae
Dorset heath
Erica ciliaris
In other languages: Heide (Nederlands) · Bruyère ciliée (Français)
Dorset heath, Erica ciliaris, is a low, evergreen heather from western Europe, from Portugal to the south of England. It grows on damp, acid heathland and in boggy places. From July to October it carries clusters of strikingly large, pink to purple bells at the tips of its stems, larger than those of most other heathers. The foliage is fine, grey-green and fringed with tiny hairs, hence the name ciliaris. A lovely plant for a damp heather garden or an acid border.
Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Normal to wet
must not dry out
Legal basis
Sand or peat
acid
Hardiness
down to -15 °C
protect young plants
Size
0.3 m
tall, 0.5 m wide
Flowering
July–October
| Pruning months | March–April |
|---|---|
| Height | 0.3 m |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous |
| Flowering | July–October |
Identify
Dorset heath: how do you recognise it?
- Habit
- Low, loose dwarf shrub 20–30 cm tall and up to 50 cm wide, with upright flowering stems.
- Leaf
- Small and narrow, in whorls of three, grey-green with fine hairs along the edge.
- Flower
- Elongated, pink to purple bells of 8–12 mm in one-sided clusters at the stem tips.
- Flowering
- From July to October.
- Roots
- Fine and shallow, in partnership with fungi that help take up food from poor, acid soil.
Flowering: July–October · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March–April
In your garden
Why grow it?
- Flowers for a long time, from July to October, when many spring heathers are long over.
- Large, eye-catching bells that bees and bumblebees visit in late summer.
- Evergreen: fine, grey-green ground cover in winter too.
- One of the few heathers that genuinely likes damp, acid soil.
- Combines well with other heathers for flowers almost all year round.
Dorset heath: where does it grow best?
- Sun to light shade.
- Acid soil (pH well below 6): sand or peat with plenty of humus.
- Moist: it does not tolerate drying out, but copes with wet feet in winter better than most heathers.
- A sheltered, mild spot; cold, dry east wind damages the foliage.
- Plant 3–4 per m² for a closed carpet.
- Light
- Sun and partial shade
- Soil type
- Sand or peat
- Acidity
- Acid
- Moisture
- Normal or wet
- Size
- 0.3 m tall, 0.5 m wide
- Hardiness
- Hardy (to -15 °C)
Goes well with
- Cross-leaved heath: A native relative that also loves damp, acid soil.
- Ling heather: Flowers at the same time and suits any heather garden.
- Wintergreen: Evergreen ground cover with red berries for an acid border.
- Purple moor grass: A fine grass that often grows among heather in the wild.
- Rhododendron: A taller backdrop in the same acid soil.
Maintenance
Dorset heath: when and how to plant it?
Plant in March–April and September–October.
- Plant in March–April or September–October, when the soil is moist.
- Mix acid compost or leaf mould into the soil; in chalky gardens use a raised bed or a large container of ericaceous compost.
- Set the plants slightly deeper than in their pots, so the lowest shoots just touch the soil.
- Water well with rainwater after planting.
- Mulch with pine needles or fine bark.
Care
- Water
- Keep the soil moist, especially in the first year and in dry summers; use rainwater.
- Feeding
- Hardly needed; at most some ericaceous fertiliser in spring.
- Mulching
- A layer of pine needles or fine bark keeps the soil acid and moist.
- Lime
- Avoid hard tap water and lime-rich soil improvers.
- Weeding
- Weed between young plants until they form a closed carpet.
Tip: Give this heather a spot where the soil never dries out completely, for example at the edge of a pond or in a low, damp corner: there it flowers for months.
Dorset heath: when to prune it?
Pruning months: March–April.
When: In spring, in March–April, before new growth starts.
How:
- Lightly shear off last year’s faded flower stems with shears.
- Do not cut into old, bare wood: heathers regrow from it poorly.
- A light trim every year keeps the plants compact and stops them going bare in the middle.
Caution: Do not prune in autumn: the faded stems protect the plant in winter.
Propagation
- Cuttings
- In July–August: side shoots of 3–5 cm in acid cutting compost with sand, under plastic.
- Layering
- In spring, press a few low shoots into the soil and cover with sand; after a year, cut them free.
Dorset heath: how does it get through the winter?
Hardy to −15 °C: protect young plants.
- Hardy to about −15 °C; in severe winters some foliage may turn brown.
- Evergreen, with the dried flower stems as winter decoration.
- A mulch protects the shallow roots against frost.
- Cover young plants with conifer branches in hard frost and cold wind.
Diseases and pests
- Yellow leaves: Soil or water that is too chalky. Use rainwater and acid compost.
- Brown, dried patches: Caused by drying out. Keep the soil moist and mulch.
- Bare in the middle: Not pruned enough. Trim lightly every spring from now on; replace old plants.
Through the year
- March: Trim lightly. Planting. Mulch.
- April: Finish trimming. Planting is still possible.
- June: Water in dry spells.
- July: Start of flowering. Take cuttings.
- August: Full flower. Water in dry spells.
- September: Flowering continues. Planting.
- October: Last flowers. Planting.
- December: Cover with conifer branches in hard frost.
Use
Good for wildlife
- Bees
- Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.
You and this species
Did you know?
- In England, Erica ciliaris is a rare wild plant found only in the south-west.
- The name ciliaris refers to the fine hairs (cilia) along the edge of the leaf.