Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Know If My Heather Shrub Is Still Alive
How to Know If My Heather Shrub Is Still Alive. Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is a small, evergreen shrub native to Europe, Asia and North America. The plant features white, pink or purple flowering stems, depending on variety, and flourishes in the acidic soil of moors and bogs and other areas many plants won't grow. Heather needs cool weather and...
Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is a small, evergreen shrub native to Europe, Asia and North America. The plant features white, pink or purple flowering stems, depending on variety, and flourishes in the acidic soil of moors and bogs and other areas many plants won't grow. Heather needs cool weather and partial sun to thrive. The plant also needs particularly well-drained soil, according to the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program. Heather that loses all its leaves and dries out completely, may be dead.
Things You'll Need
Spade
Touch the leaves and small flowers on your heather plant. If they are dry and break apart, the heather might be dead, although it might also just be going dormant in advance of winter.
Break off a stem of the heather. If the stem is pliable and the inside of the stem is green or white and soft, the heather is alive. If the stem is brittle and easily breaks in half, the heather might be dead.
Dig a small hole near the heather's roots. Healthy roots are white. If the heather's roots are white the plant is still alive. If the heather's roots are brown, red or black the heather is dead or dying.
Tips & Warnings
If the heather still has healthy roots water it to see if it will return to health. If the heather has diseased roots, it is best to dig it up and start over with a new plant.
