Calluna vulgaris Garden Girls Martina - Heather

Calluna vulgaris 'Martina' is a summer heather from the prolific Garden Girls series, specifically from the Summer Line range, with early varieties that flower as early as August. The flower buds remain closed to ensure a long-lasting flowering season that is not affected by bad weather. Since the flowers are not pollinated, they have an extended lifespan. 'Martina' shines with intense dark red spikes and has persistent green foliage. Plant it in rock gardens, borders, or in a lovely pot on a patio, in well-drained acidic soil or substrate.

Calluna vulgaris Garden Girls® 'Martina' belongs to the Ericaceae family. Its ancestor, the common heather, is the only species of the genus Calluna. In its natural habitat, it is the dominant vegetation of barren heathlands in the cold regions of the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. 'Martina' is an evergreen shrub that forms a small, bushy plant with a wide and erect habit, reaching about 50cm (20in) in height and width after 3 years of cultivation. Decorative all year round thanks to its beautiful evergreen foliage, this cultivar flowers from August to October. Its flower buds are arranged in upright and flexible spikes. Its nectar contains a high sugar content, making this honey-bearing plant invaluable in beekeeping. Heather honey is characterised by its gelatinous texture and dark colour.

The Garden Girls 'Martina' summer heather is a light and refined plant that thrives in any acidic, moist to dry soil in full sun or partial shade. It adds elegance to wild areas of the garden as well as to low-maintenance or weekend gardens. Stunning when planted en masse with other species and varieties, it also pairs beautifully with dwarf asters in autumn and low-growing grasses in rock gardens, banks, or informal borders. In an ericaceous soil bed, it can be planted at the base of witch hazels, pieris, or Skimmia japonica. Plant it in pots and containers on a patio or balcony to create autumnal floral compositions with small perennials and bulbs.

Calluna vulgaris can withstand moderate grazing. It represents an important source of food for sheep and deer when snow covers the vegetation. It is capable of regenerating after a fire. In the past, this plant was considered magical and used in white magic rituals; it was attributed protective powers, as in the Breton heaths, where it is said to ward off ghostly spirits. Calluna is also an ingredient of gruit, an aromatic composition used in brewing beer before the use of hops in the Middle Ages. Its flowering tops have been used in herbal medicine for a very long time, as they are reputed to "dissolve stones in the bladder".