Calluna vulgaris Tib - Heather

Calluna vulgaris 'Tib', also known as Common Heather or Heather or Ling, captivates with its summer flowering of tiny bright pink double flowers! It is a shrub with a spreading habit that bears beautiful dark green glossy evergreen foliage on its small upright stems. This tough foliage and its sturdy yet flexible branches make it a robust species, particularly suited to open environments exposed to the elements. From July to September, it is adorned with a multitude of dense spikes of extremely nectar-rich bell-shaped flowers, transforming this plant into a very colourful cushion. Ornamental in all seasons, it is a low-maintenance miniature shrub that is especially suitable for borders and pots in acidic and well-drained soil, that is not too rich and dry. 

Calluna vulgaris, the only species in the Calluna genus belonging to the Ericaceae family, is the dominant vegetation in barren heathlands in the cold regions of the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. 'Tib' is one of its many cultivars. This evergreen shrub forms small, bushy, slightly tousled plants, with a height of 0.4 m (1.4 ft) and a width of 0.45 m (1.5 ft). Its growth is quite slow. Decorative all year round, it offers a double flowering in carmine pink buds, becoming bright pink when fully open in summer, grouped in upright, compact yet flexible spikes. The scaly foliage on curved, somewhat tousled stems is a shiny dark green, turning brown in autumn and finally brownish-purple in winter. It is a nectar-rich plant, used in beekeeping due to the high sugar content of its nectar. Heather honey is characterised by its gelatinous texture and dark colour.

'Tib' is a cultivar with intense colours, perfect for acidic soil in low-maintenance gardens and wild areas, adding colour throughout the year. It can planted in groups, with other varieties and cultivars (which are countless). To achieve a long winter flowering, one can imitate nature by mixing common heather and ling heather, changing the colour of the landscapes they form during their flowering. It will brighten up rockeries and borders along pathways. It adapts very well to cultivation in pots and in flower boxes, where it will create beautiful seasonal compositions. Planted in ericaceous flower beds, it will cover the base of rhododendrons or witch hazels. You can create delightful, slightly wild scenes by planting 'Tib' alongside grasses, ferns, and dwarf conifers at the base of silver birch trees.

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