White heather
Cassiope mertensiana
Last reviewed: September 2026
Toxicity unknown
White heather (Cassiope mertensiana) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
medium
Size
3"–8" H × 8"–16" W
Bloom
Jun, Jul, Aug
Native to
CA, ID, MT, NV and 2 more states
Pollinators
bumble bees
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 452 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
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A dwarf, mat-forming evergreen shrub with tiny, scale-like leaves densely overlapping the stems, resembling a miniature conifer. Bears small, nodding, white, bell-shaped flowers in summer at high elevation among rocks and snowmelt basins.
Wildlife value
The bell-shaped flowers provide an important nectar source for bumble bees in alpine habitat where the bloom season is very short.
Common questions
- How much sun does White heather need?
- White heather grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does White heather bloom?
- White heather blooms in June, July, and August.
- Where is White heather native?
- White heather (Cassiope mertensiana) is native to CA, ID, MT, NV and 2 more states, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
- What pollinators does White heather attract?
- White heather draws bumble bees.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow White heather? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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