Hi Lynne, I can't be of any assistance on this one, but I remember a few years back I bought one just because it was so pretty. I was under the same impression. It dies and you use it for dried arrangements. I hope someone has an answer as to whether or not we could plant them outdoors. That would be so great. I think they grow wild in England. darlene

It's certainly worth a try. Different heathers vary in their hardiness, so the one you have might or might not be suitable for your zone. I have 13 heathers in my yard. One was here when I came--a nice plant that's pretty much evergreen here in zone 5. I ordered the others from Rock Spray Nursery. If I'm recalling correctly, there are some heathers that are hardy even in zone 4. There's lots of variety in bloom season, plant height, bloom color, and foliage color.

Jennifer

Here is a link that might be useful: Rock Spray Nursery

Lynne - There's a much higher chance that it will grow for you ourdooors in zone 6 than it will grow for Darlene in zone 4, since several of the kinds of heather and heaths aren't hardy in zone 4. Is there any additional information on the tag, like a Latin name or a variety name, that might allow you to look up information on hardiness? Regardless you need relatively well-drained, not-too-rich, acid soil for them to be happy, so if you don't know, get your soil tested. If it isn't acid you can talk to someone like an extention agent to find out what to do with your soil to make them happy. Often you can build a raised bed with different materials than your native soil.

jennifer ruth, thanks for the link to the nice web site...that's fantastic

You're welcome!

Jennifer