Heather plants for rockery garden
Shop our selection of the best heathers for the rock garden, perfect for bringing colourful flowers, year-round foliage colour and a naturalistic, heathland appearance to parts of the rockery. Rockeries are constructed as natural-looking rocky outcrops, ideally on a slope in full sun. They work particularly well alongside ponds, water features or next to walls and can be given extra height and contours using railway sleepers if your garden is naturally flat. Heathers are low-growing, hardy evergreen perennial shrubs thriving in acidic soils in open sunny locations or partial shade. They are the dominant plants in most heathlands and moorlands in Europe with flower colours ranging from white, through to pink, a wide range of purples and reds. There are two varieties - Calluna and Erica. Calluna has small scale-like leaves carried in opposite pairs, whereas Erica's foliage is more needle-like and borne in whorls. Both are brilliant for bringing a natural feel and splash of colour to the rockery. They are extremely hardy with a low, dome-shaped growth habit that combines well with dwarf conifers and small shrubs. Heathers can be planted individually or in groups of 5-7 of each variety for blocks of colour. For dramatic yellow foliage consider Calluna Aurea, Erica Golden Starlet or Erica Foxhollow; choose Calluna Silver Queen for silvery foliage; or Erica R B Cooke for the deepest pink flowers.