Italian Heather Plant Care – Everything You Should Know

Italian Heather Plants are a fabulous option for any home. However, they require some extra TLC, especially when it comes to access to the sun.

If you have patients and want to grow a popular ornamental shrub that showcases elegant pink flowers and will impress all your guests, keep reading this article where we will give you all the important information needed to help this plant thrive.

What Are Italian Heather Plants?

Italian Heather Plants, also commonly referred to as Mediterranean heather, is an evergreen shrub with fabulous brightly colored flowers that change shades throughout the season.

This plant thrives the best in the garden away from shady locations and somewhere warm where they have room to grow upward and outward.

While they do great outdoors, they can be grown inside in the right conditions and can spruce up the home or porch with a little color and pizazz.

Italian Heather Plant Care

Whether you plan on adding your Italian Heather to your front garden bed for a little seasonal curb appeal or you are placing a potted plant into your house, there are a few things you need to know in order to properly care for the plant and provide it the best conditions to thrive.

Outdoor Heather Plant Care

If you are planning on placing some Italian Heathers around your garden, you will want to make sure it is in a location providing plenty of sun, preferably a minimum of six hours. Even the smallest amount of shade can cause the plant’s stems to become weak and droopy.

These plants should be placed at least two feet apart between one another and other shrubs. Heathers require soil that is acidic and well-draining, and they do not do well at all in clay soils.

Like most plants, Italian Heathers require a decent amount of water. Always make sure the soil around your shrubs is moist but never soaked or soggy for a prolonged period of time.

Dried-up soil will cause your plant to start wilting quickly, but too much water collection at the roots will also lead to long-term damaging effects. It is very important you keep an eye on the soil, especially on extremely hot days where you may need to give your Heathers a few extra drinks, or maybe back for a few days during the rainy season when the soil is drenched.

Indoor Italian Heather Plant Care

If you have decided to bring this shrub inside the house, there are a few things to remember if you want to keep it alive.

Heathers is not difficult when it comes to indoor temperatures and will do just fine in the environment you are most comfortable in. The shrub can handle room temperatures between 50°F and 80°F without any issues.

Anything warmer than that will quickly dry out the soil, and it may be more challenging to keep it moist enough for the plant to maintain growth. Any temperature below 50° will start to cause the flowers to start wilting, and the stem will become weak.

Remember, your Italian Heather requires six or more hours of sun each day which means you have to have a good spot for it right near a window, or it isn’t going to survive for very long.

When it comes to watering your Italian Heather, the recommendations are very similar to outdoor rules. Always make sure the soil is moist but not wet; it is extremely important that the pot your Heather is in has plenty of drainage holes to prevent water buildup on the bottom that can eventually lead to root rot and a diseased shrub.

Once your Italian Heather starts to grow, you are going to want to re-home it. You may need to replace your pots every one-to-two years as the plant starts to get bigger and grow outwards.

Pruning Your Italian Heather

Pruning your Italian Heather shrub is extremely important to ensure the plant remains healthy and keeps it from taking over the entire garden space or blossoming too far outside its pot.

To keep your pretty flowers growing, cut the stems all the way down to the base after the blooming season has come and gone. This will allow new healthy growth for the next season, giving you bright, beautiful flowers again and again.

When pruning, be careful that you don’t cut so far that you are destroying the woody part of the plant; this is going to keep flowers from growing in that section cause a wide-open space in the shrub.

Italian Heather Care FAQs

While these shrubs are fairly simple to grow and care for, there is still a lot of information available to help you keep these plants healthy and safe. Here are some commonly asked questions asked about Italian Heather care.

Can Italian Heathers Survive in the Winter?

Italian Heathers is considered a pretty hardy plant and can make it through the winter season when planted outdoors. However, if the temperatures dip down below 27°F for too long, they may not come back up in the spring.

How Often Should You Water Italian Heathers?

Most of the time, these plants should only need to be watered once or twice a week. However, if it is hot, keep an eye on the soil; you may need to give it more if it looks dry.

When Do Italian Heathers Usually Bloom?

Italian Heathers usually start to bloom in the beginning to middle of spring and will last throughout the spring and summer season. At the beginning of the seasons, you will notice pretty bell-shaped pink or white flowers start to blossom.

What is the Best Fertilizer to Use on Italian Heathers?

Organic seaweed works very well on Italian Heathers. These plants need a slow-release fertilizer for the best results. It is very important to make sure you are not overfeeding your plants as this will lead to a massive amount of leaves and few flowers.

Is Italian Heather Toxic to Pets?

Italian Heathers are a great addition to gardens in homes with pets as the plant isn’t toxic and won’t cause any harm if your animals enjoy nibbling on it every now and again.

Summing Things Up

Italian Heathers is a beautiful, easy-to-maintain flowering shrub that will add a splash of vibrant color to any garden or bring a little color to an otherwise dull room. When caring for an Italian Heather, all you have to remember is to never over or under water it, prune it when it is getting out of control, and always give it plenty of sun.