Bud-blooming heathers are a special type of heather plant that offer a unique and long-lasting display of color, particularly during the autumn and winter months.
Key characteristics of bud-blooming heathers:
- Persistent color: The buds stay closed, preventing them from opening and wilting, resulting in a consistent and prolonged display of color. Bees cannot collect any pollen, because the buds don’t open.
- Winter hardiness: Many varieties are well-suited to cold climates and can withstand frost.
- Variety of colors: They come in a range of hues, including pink, purple, white, and even bi-colored options.
- Low-maintenance: Bud-blooming heathers are relatively easy to care for and require minimal maintenance. Good for pots and containers.
These heathers are a popular choice for gardens, containers, and even as ground covers.
You may have seen the Gardengirls® brand which you find printed on Calluna vulgardis pots and displays in the UK. These are imported from the main producer of a wide range o heathers including the bud blooming heathers (Calluna vulgaris).
For the very curious follow the link Gardengirls®
The key advantage of bud-blooming heathers over their wild witch-broom cousins lies in their unopened buds. While wild heathers bloom briefly in summer (June/July to August), bud-bloomers offer vibrant color from August well into winter, their buds remaining stubbornly closed and unfazed even by early frosts. This dramatic improvement in flowering duration clearly warranted a distinctive name, and in 1997, Kurt Kramer introduced the now-famous Gardengirls® brand. Each bud-blooming variety was given a girl name, creating the “Girls for every garden” family, a testament to their widespread appeal. The easily recognizable English name, Gardengirls®, quickly resonated across Europe, establishing the brand as a horticultural success story.s.
Brief historical back ground:
In 1974, Kurt Kramer was the first to create new heather varieties using various breeding methods.
In 1984 the interspecific hybrid Erica x darleyensis ‘Kramers Rote’ (blooms January through April) became the first breeding success for Kurt Kramer. This hybrid is now commercially produced by nurseries all over Europe, in New Zealand and Canada. He the tried to breed various other heathers but another big success came when he bred the Gardengirls® family which you can find in almost any Garden Center in the UK now.
Best Companions:
Betula utilis var. jacquemontii with Erica x darleyensis ‘Kramer’s Rote’ (Erica x darleyensis ‘Kramer’s Red’) combined with a selection of different ‘girls’ (Calluna vulgaris) of the Gardengirls® and matching crocuses and snowdrops.
BTW I don’t get any commission for clicks to their website. I’m just fascinated by heathers.