Wikimedia Commons
Ericaceae
Mountain Heath
Phyllodoce caerulea
Solitude and resilience.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Phyllodoce
- Native to
- Northern Europe, Arctic regions, Scotland
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- shrub
- Height
- 4-8 in
- Sunlight
- full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- acidic, moist, peaty
- Water
- moderate to high
- Hardiness
- 2-6
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Mountain heath is one of the rarest native plants in Britain, found only on a few Scottish mountain summits.
- The genus name Phyllodoce comes from a sea nymph in Greek mythology mentioned in Virgil's Georgics.
- Its small, bell-shaped flowers are adapted to the short growing seasons of Arctic and alpine environments.
- The needle-like evergreen leaves resemble heather but are arranged in a distinctive spiral pattern along the stems.
- In Scandinavia, it grows extensively on mountain plateaus above the tree line, forming colorful carpets in summer.
Color meanings
0
wilderness beauty
1
hardiness
2
arctic strength