The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

Common Name: White Arctic Mountain Heather

General Information

Cassiope tetragona is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 0.30 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

N. Europe, Northern N. America, N. Asia.

Habitat

Dryish stony or sandy heaths or tundra, usually in mountainous areas[].

Properties

Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.30 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a lime-free well-drained but moistish soil and protection from bright sunlight[, , ]. Another report says that the plant tolerates some lime[] whilst yet another report says that it is calcicole (requires a lime-rich soil)[].
Plants seldom live long in the drier and warmer areas of the country, growing better in the west and north[]. They prefer a colder winter than is normally experienced in S, Britain, with a covering of snow for protection and are hardy to at least -15°c[, ].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The plant, combined with mosses and lichens, has been used as an insulation material in houses[]
The plant makes a good tinder[].
Used for fuel[, ]. Considering the size of the plant (up to 30cm), this use must be born out of desperation in areas with very few woody plants[].

Propagation

Seed - we have no details for this species but we would suggest surface-sowing sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe or in late winter in a well-drained ericaceous compost in a cold frame. Do not allow the compost to dry out. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Layering in August[]. Alternatively, dig up the plant in early spring and replant it 10 - 20cm deeper in the soil. The buried branches will form roots and these can be divided and replanted in the autumn of the following year[].
Cuttings of half-ripe shoots, 2 -3cm with a heel, in a shady frame in August. Do not remove the leaves or allow the cuttings to dry out. Fair percentage[].