Side by side

Heather or winter heath? How to tell them apart

Calluna vulgaris · Erica carnea

How to tell them apart – heather: scale-like leaves in four rows, flowers in late summer; winter heath: low, evergreen heath that flowers pink, purple or white in the middle of winter, with dark anthers sticking out of the bells.

Updated on 10 October 2026

Photo: Rasbak at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Heather Calluna vulgaris

Photo: Heinz Staudacher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Winter heath Erica carnea

How do you recognise them?

Heather: Dwarf shrub with tiny scale-like leaves and small purple flowers in August.; Compared with winter heath: scale-like leaves in four rows; flowers in late summer.
Winter heath: Low, evergreen heath that flowers pink, purple or white in the middle of winter, with dark anthers sticking out of the bells.

Heather and winter heath side by side
	Heather	Winter heath
Leaves	Tiny, scale-like leaves (1–3 mm) in four rows, pressed close to the shoots.	Needle-like, 4–8 mm, hairless and dark green, in whorls of four.
Flowering	Small lilac (sometimes white) bells in long spikes, August–September (August–October).	Urn-shaped bells (5–6 mm) in one-sided spikes, December–April, with protruding brown anthers. The buds are already formed in summer (January–April).
Fruit	Small capsules.	Small capsules.
Bark	Thin, tough, woody stems.	Thin, trailing to ascending stems.
Shape and height	Dwarf shrub, 0.2–1 m	Dwarf shrub, 15–30 cm
Site	Full sun, acid soil, dry	Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal
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	April–May

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.

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All species that look alike

This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.