Heather is a perennial grown for its blooms, which open in summer and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 6 and shrugs off deer. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Heather — the short answer
Heather: grown in zones 4–6, part sun, pH 4.5–7.
- USDA zones
- 4–6
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 4.5–7
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Heather on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether heather actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score heather against your land's real conditions.
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What Heather is
Heather grows as a perennial and reaches around two feet at maturity. It blooms in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Heather
Heather grows in USDA zones 4 through 6. Heather does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 7, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
4-6
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 7
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
2 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant heather in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun.
Match the soil
Heather prefers pH 4.5 to 7 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut heather blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Heather thrives
Heather is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 6. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 4–6 spans average winter lows from -30°F to 0°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 4 outright and splits 38 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 4–6·Where Heather growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Heather stands, state by state
Heather is rated for zones 4–6 — a cold floor USDA puts at -30 to -20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 4 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 38 more, and 9 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 4–6
4 states
- Iowa · zones 4b-6a
- Nebraska · zones 4b-6a
- South Dakota · zones 4a-5b
3 of 4 shown
The line runs through
38 states
3 of 38 shown
Heather’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 4–6
9 states
- Alabama · zones 7b-9b
- Delaware · zones 7a-8a
- District of Columbia · zones 7b-8a
3 of 9 shown
Too little winter chill rather than too much cold — a low-chill selection is what changes it. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Heather
Growing guides for heather
In rotation planning, heather counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in perennial flower
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — heather isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Heather offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Heather's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Heather will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether heather actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Heather
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Heather in my zone?
Heather grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 6 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Heather?
Time heather to your own season rather than the calendar. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Heather need?
Heather does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Heather need?
Heather prefers soil pH 4.5 to 7, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Heather attract pollinators?
Yes — heather's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees.
Is Heather safe for pets?
Heather is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring Heather
Heather state by state
Every state heather's zone reaches — 0 link straight to that state's heather growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.