Winter Heather 'Furzey'

Plant people being humans, we have our quirks and differences. Some plant people, for example, expound on the differences between heaths and heathers. "Heaths have teeth, heathers have feathers," they'll tell you with the passion of a Seahawks or Mariner's fan. Others use the terms "heaths" and "heathers" almost interchangeably. Madness. Not scientific. But honestly? When you're dealing with something as gorgeous as Winter Heather 'Furzey', you kind of stop caring about the botanical semantics.

This compact evergreen is basically the mood ring of the winter garden – it can't seem to make up its mind about what color it wants to be, and somehow that indecision makes it even more captivating. 'Furzey' provides a great show of pink, bell-shaped flowers in winter that gradually turn to purple as the season proceeds.

The transformation is genuinely magical to watch. Those delicate bell flowers start out as a soft, cheerful pink that brightens up the dreariest February days, then slowly deepen to rich purple tones as winter gives way to spring. It's like having a slow-motion sunset happening right in your garden, except it lasts for months instead of minutes.

What makes 'Furzey' particularly special is its timing and reliability. While most plants are still snoozing through the winter, this little champ is out there doing its thing, providing consistent color and interest when you need it most. The needle-like evergreen foliage creates a perfect backdrop for those color-changing flowers, and the whole plant stays neat and compact without any fussy maintenance requirements.

The dense, mounding habit makes it perfect for adding winter interest to borders, rock gardens, or anywhere you want reliable off-season color. It's drought tolerant once established and generally low-maintenance – the kind of plant that makes you look like you know what you're doing even when you're just winging it. You'll find this color-changing champion adding winter magic to our median plantings, proving that the best performers are often the ones who keep you guessing.