Growing Winter Chocolate Scotch Heather

Size and Appearance

Winter Chocolate Scotch Heather is an evergreen shrub that forms a broad mound of stems, spreading horizontally and then rising up. It stands no more than 18 inches tall, but will be about 2 feet across, and even more in time. The leaves are no more than one-tenth of an inch long, scale-like triangles, and arranged in four vertical rows along the stems, making them look square. This variety shows very variable leaf colors between fall and early summer, with green leaves the rest of the time. Typically, in winter the whole plant is a dark chocolate-red, with brighter red tips to the branches. When new growth emerges in spring it is also bright red, lightening first to orange and then to yellow before finally turning green. In August the upper sections of the new stems carry vertical rows of small bell-shaped flowers, on short stalks close to the stems. These are soft light pink. Then, as colder weather arrives in fall the foliage begins to change again, going from green to lavender and then sliding into darker and darker tones to become dark chocolate-red again for winter. Actually coloring can vary from year to year, and depends on a combination of soil, temperature and sunlight intensity.

Using Winter Chocolate Scotch Heather in Your Garden

The Winter Chocolate Scotch Heather is a fabulous ground cover plant for all sunny parts of your garden. Grow it in the front of shrub beds, where it forms a great continuous carpet. Set plants back about 12 inches if the bed ends in a lawn, and just a few inches back along paths and around terraces. Space plants 12 inches apart for a solid carpet in a few short seasons. Grow it on slopes and banks, among rocks and in retaining walls. Use it in a setting imitating nature, mixed with spreading junipers, dwarf pines, blueberries and mountain cranberries, and other plants of acid slopes.

If your soil is just a little too close to neutral, adding peat and pine needles will make it possible to succeed with this plant. In neutral or alkaline soil this is usually not successful, so instead plant them in pots, planter boxes and window boxes, using soil blended for acid-loving plants.

Hardiness

The Winter Chocolate Scotch Heather is totally reliable in zones 5 and 6, and will usually grow well in zone 4 too, with minimal winter injury. Areas with hot, humid summers aren’t suitable, but it will also grow well in zones 7 and 8 in the cooler summers of the northwest.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best for the Winter Chocolate Scotch Heather, and will give good foliage colors. Some afternoon shade is possible, but coloring will not be as intense, and flowering could be reduced a little. Although not particular about soil, and thriving in poor, nutrient-low soils, it must be in strongly acidic soil, with a pH value between 4.5 and 5.5. Low levels of nutrients actually produce more durable, cold-resistant plants that are compact, bushy and live longer. Sandy soils are excellent, and plants are moderately drought tolerant once established, although they don’t enjoy extended periods of dryness. This plant is also resistant to salt-spray, and grows well in coastal areas.

Maintenance and Pruning

You won’t have problems with deer, pests or diseases growing the Winter Chocolate Scotch Heather. It is generally free of problems if grown in suitable soil, and needs no particular attention at all. Although not essential, plantings will stay attractive much longer if they are trimmed in early spring, before new growth emerges. Cut back to leave just an inch or so of the stems that grew the previous year – shears or trimmers can be used on larger plantings. Don’t trim new growth – once a year is perfect.

History and Origin of Winter Chocolate Scotch Heather

The Scotch heather, Calluna vulgaris, grows across mountains and hills throughout Europe and in Iceland too. It even grows further east in Greece, Turkey and western Asia. Large areas covered in heather are an indicator of overgrazing, since it isn’t eaten by cows or sheep, while just about everything else is. Gardeners began to grow it in the early 20th century, when mountains and their plants were ‘discovered’ and became fashionable. Since then many hundreds of varieties have been developed, but very few have detailed histories. They are mostly unusual seedlings that were picked out and kept by cuttings, which is why we have today a special plant like ‘Winter Chocolate’.

Buying Winter Chocolate Scotch Heather at the Tree Center

With so many varieties of Scotch heather available, it makes sense to only grow named plants. These have been propagated from cuttings, and are genetically identical to that first special plant. This is especially true for unique varieties like the Winter Chocolate Scotch Heather, so avoid cheaper plants just called ‘heather’ and go for the best. Order now, because few nurseries carry a range of these plants, so our stock isn’t going to last long.

Growing Spring Torch Scotch Heather

Size and Appearance

Spring Torch Scotch Heather is a compact evergreen shrub that is a spreading mound of many slender stems, rising to a little less than a foot tall, and spreading to as much as 18 inches across. The leaves are slender triangles, and grow in rows up the stems, clasping them at the base of the leaf. New growth in spring emerges bright reds and oranges, slowly lightening through pinks to become pale primrose yellow. By early summer the leaves have turned green, and by August rows of tiny blossoms, bright lavender-pink, cover the upper parts of all the branches. These last right through September, and even when they dry and the plant becomes dormant they keep their color. The color is held even better if you cut some stems and hang them to dry. These can be used for dried arrangements and the coloring lasts for years. In winter the foliage turns bronzy-browns and purples, making it interesting all year round.

Using Spring Torch Scotch Heather in Your Garden

The Spring Torch Scotch Heather is an easy and colorful ground cover for the front of shrub beds. It is great for slopes and banks, where it can cover large areas with interest. The unique light, fine look is great and can’t be found in any other plant. Use it for sunny parts of woodland gardens where you grow rhododendrons and other acid-loving plants. For ground cover space plants 12 inches apart each way, setting them back a little from a grassy edge, but planting close to hard edges and paths, to soften the straight lines. Ideal for semi-natural plantings with pines, junipers, Vaccinium and other plants of poor acid soils.

If you don’t have suitable soil, don’t worry, grow it in pots and planters, using soil for acid-loving plants. Overwinter inside a cool porch, or bury the pots in the garden for winter.

Hardiness

The Spring Torch Scotch Heather is very cold-tolerant, and will grow perfectly in zones 5 and 6, and well in zone 4 too, with minimal winter damage. It won’t grow in warmer areas of the east, but it will grow in zones 7 and 8 in the northwest, where summers are cool and damp.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant the Spring Torch Scotch Heather in full sun for the best foliage colors and blooming. It could take a little afternoon shade in zone 6. The ideal soil is sandy, well-drained and moist, but the acid level is the most important thing. It should be between 4.5 and 5.5 on the pH scale. If it is 6.5 or below, add plenty of peat moss when planting, or pine needles, and it should grow just fine. It is happy on poor soils too, and will grow where not much else will. Resistant to salt-spray, it is very useful on sandy soils in coastal gardens. Established plants are remarkably drought tolerant, but they do benefit from a generous watering from time to time of you can.

Maintenance and Pruning

Because deer don’t touch it, and it has few if any pests or diseases, the Spring Torch Scotch Heather is trouble-free and easy to grow if you have suitable soil and cool summers. If you want it neater, and to maximize the spring color, trim in late winter, before new growth begins, by cutting old flowering stems back, leaving about 1 inch of that newer growth to sprout. This keeps plants very bushy and dense. Don’t trim new shoots as this reduces flowering.

History and Origin of Spring Torch Scotch Heather

You will find Scotch heather, Calluna vulgaris, growing not just in Scotland, but in Iceland too, and all across the mountains of Europe and western Asia. It is found chiefly in very poor soils, and especially in areas that have been overgrazed for centuries, because sheep and cows won’t eat it, even if they are very hungry. It wasn’t popular in gardens until the 20th century, because of its association with poverty and ‘peasant’ farming. When interest in mountains and alpine flowers developed, growing heather soon followed. There are hundreds of different forms, but almost all of them are of unknown origin. They were probably unique seedlings spotted by a sharp-eyed gardener or nursery owner. ‘Spring Torch’ is certainly unique, but we don’t know who first discovered it.

Buying Spring Torch Scotch Heather at the Tree Center

Scotch heather is not so widely grown in America as it is in Europe, and that is a shame. There are large areas where it will grow well, and if you live in one – or just want a plant in a pot – then now is your chance to have one of the most colorful varieties there is. Order your Spring Torch Scotch Heather now, because it sells so fast we simply can’t keep it in stock.

Growing Hancock’s Coralberry

Size and Appearance

Hancock’s Coralberry is a low-growing deciduous shrub growing just 1 to 2 feet above the ground. The thin stems root as they grow, and new stems also grow up from the roots, meaning that a single plant will, within a few years, cover an area over 6 feet across. It isn’t so vigorous as to take over your garden, but it does spread, so allow plenty of room. The many slender stems spread outwards, and they are covered in small oval leaves, about ¾ of an inch long. These are always clean looking, and a bright but dark green in color. There is no significant fall coloring, and in warmer zones the leaves may stay on the plant for most of the winter.

In July clusters of tubular flowers, just ½ inch long, with a flaring mouth, growing where the leaves meet the stems. These are pink to red but because they are nestled among the leaves they aren’t particularly showy. Bees and butterflies certainly find them, though, and they are a valuable source of food for these pollinators. These are followed by clusters of small berries that begin to show by early fall. The berries are greenish to begin, turning whiter and then becoming rich purple-pink by mid-fall. The berries last well through fall and often much of the winter, although they will gradually be taken by birds. They look especially conspicuous after the leaves have fallen. They are not edible and could be mildly toxic to humans.

Using Hancock’s Coralberry in Your Garden

There is hardly another groundcover that is so tough and vigorous as Hancock’s Coralberry. It thrives in all those difficult spots beneath mature trees, for example, and on dry slopes and banks. It transforms these places from ‘boring’ to ‘brilliant’ and really gives you the chance to have lush, weed-resistant covering anywhere in your garden, on both dry and wet areas. Plant it on slopes, even steep ones, where the stems and roots give good erosion control – it is used for that in land restoration. Plant it on the banks of rivers and streams, or across rocky ground. Because of its broad spread it is relatively economical to cover large areas – you can place plants as much as 5 feet apart, although we recommend a maximum spacing of 4 feet to get a more rapid continuous carpet of weed-proof stems.

Hardiness

Hancock’s Coralberry is hardy in zone 4 and all the way into zone 7. It would grow in warmer zones in areas with cool, damp summers like the northwest.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

With a remarkable tolerance, Hancock’s Coralberry grows everywhere from full sun to full shade, and in all kinds of soils, from dry, poor soils to wet areas with poor drainage. This is one plant that will almost always grow where you put it, no matter the conditions.

Maintenance and Pruning

Especially in warmer zones, some types of coralberry can lose leaves in summer from leaf-spot and mildew diseases. Hancock’s Coralberry is resistant to them, and stays fresh, clean and full from spring to late fall. It isn’t bothered by deer either. It doesn’t really need any trimming, but you can cut back any stray shoots as needed, to maintain a neater look, or trim around the edges where it meets a path or driveway.

History and Origin of Hancock’s Coralberry

Chenault’s coralberry, Symphoricarpos x chenaultii, is a hybrid snowberry, created by R. Chenault at his nursery in Orléans, France, around 1910. It is a hybrid between two species – Symphoricarpos microphyllus from Mexico and S. orbiculatus, the coralberry. Chenault’s coralberry is a vigorous shrub growing to around 6 feet tall, with white and pink berries. During the 1940s the horticulturist Leslie Hancock, who owned Woodland Nurseries, in Cookville, Ontario, Canada, developed a variety that grew to just 18 inches tall, but was wide-spreading, with branches lying on the ground and rich-pink berries. It was probably a seedling of Chenault’s coralberry. It is called ‘Hancock’, and this is the plant we call Hancock’s Coralberry.

Buying Hancock’s Coralberry at the Tree Center

If you have areas of your garden where nothing seems to grow, then we have the answer – Hancock’s Coralberry. Especially in colder regions it’s a real winner, and you will win beauty and lushness when you plant it. Order your plants now – knowledgeable gardeners always buy up our stock quickly, so it goes fast.

Growing the Yuki Cherry Blossom Deutzia

Size and Appearance

The Yuki Cherry Blossom Deutzia is a low-growing deciduous shrub, reaching about 2 feet tall and wide within a couple of seasons. It typically is broader than tall, making it ideal for mass planting. It forms a spreading mound of small branches, clothed with pairs of lance-shaped leaves between 1 and 1½ inches long, with a pointed tip and faintly-serrated edges. These are dark green, with reddish-purple overtones, which become more pronounced into burgundy fall colors. In May it blooms abundantly, covered in 2½ inch long clusters of blooms, with 10 to 15 blooms in each one. The star-shaped blossoms have 5 petals, each with a broad dark-pink stripe down the back, so that the flowers are pink in bud, opening to reveal a paler-pink interior. The bloom season is long, with the flowers remaining attractive for a full month. After blooming this plant remains an attractive ground cover for the rest of the season.

Using the Yuki Cherry Blossom Deutzia in Your Garden

With its low but broad form, this shrub is perfect for ground cover use, in the front of borders, as accents or edging, or for planting to cover slopes. It could also be used in planters and boxes. When used for mass planting, space plants 18 inches apart in each direction.

Hardiness

The Yuki Cherry Blossom Deutzia is hardy across most areas, from zone 5 all the way into zone 8, growing well in a wide range of climates.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun, or a little partial shade, is ideal for the Yuki Cherry Blossom Deutzia. It grows easily and quickly in most soils, as long as they are well-drained. It has moderate drought resistance once established, and all-in-all this is a very reliable plant for almost any spot in any garden.

Maintenance and Pruning

Normally free of pests or diseases, and untouched by deer, the Yuki Cherry Blossom Deutzia is very close to trouble free, except for some occasional watering during dry periods. It doesn’t need any detailed pruning, but you can trim it after the flowers finish, to keep it neat and encourage lots of new shoots. After 5 years plants can be cut down to a few inches after flowering, or in early spring, to renew them and replace old wood.

History and Origin of the Yuki Cherry Blossom Deutzia

Deutzia is a shrub that has been grown outside its home in China for centuries, and by the later part of the 19th century it was popular, and attracted the attention of Victor Lemoine, the French nurseryman and breeder who is most famous for his lilacs. He made numerous hybrids, including a group developed by crossing Deutzia gracilis with Deutzia purpurascens. This created a group of plants called Deutzia x rosea. One of the best of the plants from this cross is a variety called ‘Carminea’, released in 1900, which has pink flowers, but grows to about 3 feet tall. Thomas Ranney is a horticulturist at North Carolina State University, who had worked for some time with Deutzia. He crossed together ‘Carminea’ with another plant, Deutzia gracilis ‘Nikko’, a popular low-growing shrub, with white flowers. It was brought back from Japan in 1976 by staff of the US National Arboretum. Among the seedlings of this cross, Tom Ranney found one that had the low habit of ‘Nikko’, but the pink flowers of ‘Carminea’ – a perfect combination for garden use. He named it ‘NCDX2’, and received a patent for it in 2017.

Buying the Yuki Cherry Blossom Deutzia at the Tree Center

We love this great new ground cover shrub – and you will too. Plant it anywhere and enjoy how lovely it looks. But order your plants right away, as it is in high demand, but our stock is limited.

Growing the Emerald Beauty Cotoneaster

Size and Appearance

The Emerald Beauty Cotoneaster is a broad-spreading evergreen shrub, rising to between 12 and 18 inches tall, but spreading outward so that a single plant might be 6 feet across within a few years. The branches grow with a thicker central stem, lined with closely-spaced thinner branches growing out like a fish bone. It is fast-growing, making a dense mound that blocks weeds, covers the soil, and prevents erosion. The leaves are a little more than 1-inch long and 1/2-inch wide, and they are smooth, leathery and glossy. They have a very rich green coloring, with a gray-green underside, which isn’t normally visible. In winter the color can darken, especially in colder areas, developing deep purple-green tones. This plant is always attractive, year-round, and it’s always eye-catching and appealing.

In May or June the branches bloom, covered with small white flowers about ½ an inch across open along the stems, solitary or in pairs. They have 5 broad petals and although small they are lovely. Bees love them too, visiting regularly to collect pollen and nectar. The flowers become small green berries, which by late summer or fall have turned a bright, glowing orange-red color. These last all through fall and well into the winter months, eventually taken by birds and small animals to keep them going through the cold of winter.

Using the Emerald Beauty Cotoneaster in Your Garden

Wherever you need areas of ground covered with low plants, the Emerald Beauty Cotoneaster is your go-to plant. Use it to carpet the ground in front of larger shrubs, especially along walks, driveways and around terraces. It’s a simple and yet effective way to cover large areas and make your garden look full and ‘finished’. Plant it on slopes and banks – the intertwined branches and roots give excellent erosion control and it always looks great. If you have unsightly rocky areas, and even mounds of left-over rocks and building materials, turn it into an attractive feature by covering it with this great plant. Use it to fall over walls, softening their hard lines, or in large planters underneath trees. Don’t plant it as edging along lawns without allowing plenty of room for its final spread.

Hardiness

The Emerald Beauty Cotoneaster grows from zone 5 to zone 7 all across the country, and in zones 8 and 9 in areas where summers are not too hot and humid, for example in the northwest.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For the best results, plant the Emerald Beauty Cotoneaster in full sun. Places with a couple of hours of shade each day will not be a problem, but if you plant in shady places the growth will be thinner and weak, with few flowers or berries. The ideal soil is very well-drained, and even sandy and gravel soils are fine. Heavy clays and wet ground are best avoided, but this tough plant will be pretty happy in any ordinary garden, and it’s easy to grow.

Maintenance and Pruning

The secret to low-maintenance is to allow enough room when planting. Don’t place it close to grass or a narrow path – set it at least 2 feet back from any obstructions or other plants. That way it can grow naturally, which is best. More than a little trimming will destroy the natural arching beauty of the branching. Older plants can have a few of the oldest stems removed completely, close to the ground. Pests or diseases are rarely problems, so sit back and enjoy the beauty of this plant – without effort.

History and Origin of the Emerald Beauty Cotoneaster

The classic ground-cover cotoneaster is a variety called ‘Coral Beauty’. This is a selected form of a wild plant that is a natural hybrid. There are two cotoneasters growing more or less side by side in mountainous areas and open woodlands in western China. One is the bearberry, Cotoneaster dammeri, and the other is the Tibetan cotoneaster, Cotoneaster conspicuous. When these are cross-pollinated by bees, the wild seedlings are a hybrid called Cotoneaster x suecicus. Coral Beauty was found as a seedling in 1967, at the nursery of W. Hoogendoorn and Sons, in the town of Boskoop, the Netherlands. It was selected for its greater cold-resistance and the heavy berry crop it carries.

Creating plants resistant to diseases is a priority, and reduces the use of chemicals. So in 2010 Oregon State University started its Ornamental Plant Breeding Program. Among the plants they looked at was ‘Coral Beauty’ cotoneaster, and they recently released a variety called ‘OSUCOT2’. It is 10 times more resistant to fire blight than the Coral Beauty, and branches more densely, but it produces just as many flowers and fruits. It is sold with the trademark name of Emerald Beauty.

Buying the Emerald Beauty Cotoneaster at the Tree Center

It’s great to have the chance to offer our customers improved versions of good, reliable plants. We know you will love the Emerald Beauty Cotoneaster – it’s already proving very successful. Plants like this often sell in quantity, so it can be hard to keep up our stocks. Order your plants now, because we can’t be sure to have it still available when you come back later.