Side by side
Heather or tamarisk? How to tell them apart
Calluna vulgaris · Tamarix
How to tell them apart – heather: a low, evergreen dwarf shrub of heathland with equally tiny scale leaves and lilac bells; tamarisk: airy shrub with thin, pliable, reddish-brown shoots, tiny scale leaves and clouds of pink flower plumes, typical of the coast.
How do you recognise them?
- Heather
- Dwarf shrub with tiny scale-like leaves and small purple flowers in August.
- Compared with tamarisk: a low, evergreen dwarf shrub of heathland with equally tiny scale leaves and lilac bells.
- Tamarisk
- Airy shrub with thin, pliable, reddish-brown shoots, tiny scale leaves and clouds of pink flower plumes; typical of the coast.
| Heather | Tamarisk | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Tiny, scale-like leaves (1–3 mm) in four rows, pressed close to the shoots. | Tiny (1–4 mm), scale-like, grey-green leaves that overlap around the thin twigs, as in a cypress; the finest twigs fall in autumn together with the leaves. |
| Flowering | Small lilac (sometimes white) bells in long spikes, August–September (August–October). | Dense spikes of small pink flowers, gathered into plumes: in May on last year’s wood (such as Tamarix tetrandra) or from July to September on new shoots (such as Tamarix ramosissima) (May–August). |
| Fruit | Small capsules. | Small capsules with fluffy seeds. |
| Bark | Thin, tough, woody stems. | Long, slender, purplish-brown to reddish-brown shoots. |
| Shape and height | Dwarf shrub, 0.2–1 m | Shrub, 2–5 m |
| Site | Full sun, acid soil, dry | Full sun, any garden soil, dry |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees and butterflies | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | March–April | March and June |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Heather is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
Read on
- Plant profile: Heather
- Plant profile: Tamarisk
- Heather: when and how to prune
- Tamarisk: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.