A Light Annual Prune Can Bring Out The Best Of Your Heather – Irene Lang Shares How
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
Contributions From IRENE LANG
The owner of Perthshire Heathers, Irene runs her specialist heather nursery from North Fife in Scotland. Irene has an RHS Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture at RBGE and also achieved a HNC in Horticulture at SRUC Elmwood. Her nursery is endorsed by the RHS and has close affiliations with Heather World.
Although heathers do not need to be pruned, a light annual prune will bring out the best in your heather.
However, how and when you prune is influenced by the type of heather you are growing in your garden.
Heathers are classified into three genera that boast a wide range of species: Erica, Calluna and Daboecia.
Also, heathers bloom at different times of the year and, as a result, these plants are further divided into summer-flowering and winter-flowering types.
Underneath we guide you on how to keep that lushness and drama going year after year.
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Equipment Required | Gardening gloves, secateurs, pruning shears |
| When To Prune | Depends on the variety |
Pruning Erica Varieties
Some species of Erica, specifically E. arborea, E. australis, and E. lusitanica are, rather misleadingly, known as tree heathers.
Although they are not trees as such, they are bigger than other heathers and early pruning encourages somewhat tree-like branching in some varieties.
Prune varieties of these heathers in their second and third years only to encourage a full, bushy form and tree-like branching.
“Trimming is essential to keep plants bushy and to prevent long ‘leggy’ growth,” says Irene Lang, the Owner of Perthshire Heathers.
“A light pruning after flowering is recommended.”
Though some of them flower in spring and others in autumn, do your pruning in late autumn.
Simply trim all the stems by up to one-fourth.
These are among the only heathers that can be hard pruned, but we do not recommend any pruning after the first 3 years, except to remove spent blooms and old and dead wood.
“I have found that removing older, rangy branches of E. arborea with growth only right at the top, promotes a growth response at the base of the plant and allows light in to allow it to develop,” says Horticultural Consultant Colin Skelly.
“Removing one-third of the straggliest branches every year for 3 years should serve to renovate your tree heather.”
Erica varieties flower on the previous year’s growth, whether they are summer-flowering types or winter-flowering ones.
A light annual prune is usually beneficial.
They may be pruned shortly after flowering, before fresh growth emerges.
Summer-flowering types should be pruned in October and winter-flowering ones in late March to early April.
Simply give the plant a light prune, trimming any stems that may be growing at awkward angles or are protruding.
The objective is to shape the plants and encourage bushiness.
In any case do not trim to the wood.
Other Erica Hybrids
Some Erica hybrids, including E. × darleyensis, E. × watsonii and E. × williamsii, can not only withstand severe pruning but can even benefit from it.
In addition to the type of pruning described above for Erica heathers, every 2-3 years you can prune these hybrids and their cultivars by up to 50% of the overall plant.
They will regenerate very well and produce copious blooms on fresh growth.
Pruning Daboecia Varieties
Daboecia varieties should be pruned in the first half of March.
Trim flowering shoots to encourage fresh blooms but leave behind the previous year’s growth.
Trim the stems by up to one-fourth, especially if they have become straggly.
This will spur fresh growth and will also prevent the plant from becoming leggy.
Do not, in any case, trim a stem down to the wood.
Pruning Calluna Varieties
Calluna varieties should be pruned in the first half of March.
They flower on the current year’s growth.
Trim the previous year’s flowering shoots but leave behind any fresh shoots that may have emerged.
Avoid pruning Calluna any further.
