A variety with spikes of lilac pink bell-shaped flowers and light to mid-green foliage; great as a color contrasting groundcover; flowers throughout summer; very particular about growing conditions, needs acidic organic soil, will die in anything else
Red Fred Heather is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Red Fred Heather features tiny spikes of lilac purple bell-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches from mid summer to mid fall. It has attractive green evergreen foliage which emerges rose in spring. The needles are highly ornamental and remain green throughout the winter.
Red Fred Heather will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.
Red Fred Heather makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
