Herb: Bog Heather


Latin name: Erica tetralix


Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
June to
October

Habitat of Bog Heather:

Bogs, wet heaths and moors, rarely on drier soils.

Other uses of the herb:

Stems are used for making brooms, brushes etc. A yellow dye is obtained from the plant. Plants can be grown as a ground cover. They should be clipped in the spring in order to encourage denser growth.

Propagation of Bog Heather:

Seed - surface sow in a sandy compost in a cold frame in spring. Keep moist. Prick out the plants as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them in their permanent positions when they are 5 - 8cm tall. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 3cm long taken from twiggy lateral growths near the base of the plant, July/August in a frame. Remove the leaves from the bottom part of the stem without causing any damage to the bark. The cuttings root in a few weeks if they are given some bottom heat. Plant out in spring. Layering in spring or autumn. Plants can be "dropped" and then dug up and divided about 6 - 12 months later. Dropping involves digging up the plant and then replanting it about 15 - 20cm deeper in the soil to encourage roots to form along the stems.

Cultivation of the herb:

Bogs, wet heaths and moors, rarely on drier soils.

Medicinal use of Bog Heather:

None known

Known hazards of Erica tetralix:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.