Calluna vulgaris 'Athene' Garden Girls® Series– Heather 'Athene'

The 'Athene' Heather brings a touch of rich, deep colour to autumn gardens. Belonging to the remarkable Garden Girls® series, it is covered in intense red flower buds that never open. This special feature ensures an impeccable appearance and a colour that doesn't fade, admirably resisting rain and frost from the end of summer into the heart of winter. Its dark green foliage creates a classic and perfect setting for its fiery "flowers."

Characteristics

• Foliage: Fine, evergreen foliage in a rich dark green, which highlights the intense colour of the flower buds.
• Flowering: As a "bud-bloomer," its numerous spikes are adorned with deep pinkish-red buds that remain closed, ensuring vibrant colour and interesting texture for several months.
• Light: Requires full sun for healthy growth and abundant flowering.
• Habit: Adopts an upright, compact, and bushy habit, forming a dense and well-defined little shrub.
• Growth: Slow-growing, it reaches a mature size of 30 to 50 cm (12-20 in) in height and width.
• Soil: Essential: requires acidic (pH 4.5-5.5), poor, sandy, and above all, perfectly drained soil. It absolutely cannot tolerate heavy, clay, or alkaline soils.
• Temperature: Hardy in Zone 5. Its survival in the ground in many parts of Canada is highly dependent on adequate winter protection, such as a consistent snow cover or a mulch of conifer boughs.
• Resistance: Very resistant to White-tailed deer. The closed flower buds are not damaged by bad weather.

Use

• Types of Use: Wonderful in fall containers, either alone or in combination to create colour contrasts. Ideal in window boxes, rock gardens, or acidic borders. Often used as a seasonal annual for its prolonged fall colour.
• Decorative Advantages: Provides an intense and long-lasting red colour during a period of sparse flowering. The contrast between the dark green foliage and the red flowers is rich and elegant.

Care

• Watering: Water regularly to maintain consistent moisture, but without ever waterlogging the soil. Good drainage is crucial.
• Fertilization: Requires very little fertilization. If necessary, use a low-dose fertilizer for acid-loving plants in the spring.
• Pruning: Prune lightly in early spring, just below the previous year's flower spikes, to maintain a compact shape. Avoid cutting into old wood.
• Planting: Incorporate soil for acid-loving plants (heather/rhododendron soil) or peat moss when planting to ensure an adequate pH.
• Winter Protection: For in-ground planting, protect the shrub from drying winter winds with a mulch of conifer boughs. A good snow cover is its best protection.