Leaves needle-like, to 13 mm, in whorls. A striking variety and perfect for cutting. Some cultivars have gold or bronze foliage that add colour at ground level, although the combination of pink flowers and yellow foliage is not pleasing to everyone. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Latin specific epithet carnea means "flesh pink". Their fabulous ability to change color year-round, injecting vivid life into our landscape at a time when they need it most, is invaluable. This bud will be where the new growth sprouts. Similar to Erica carnea, but taller, more vigorous and with better frost hardiness. If the first 2-4 (5-10cm) of soil is dry, it is time to water. Erica carnea cultivars tend to be low growing, with a spreading habit. These acid-loving species need a light, sandy but nutrient-rich soil, with a pH of 6.5 or less. When planting winter heath in pots, it is important to use a planter suitable for winter weather. tall (10-15 cm) and 12-18 in. For the first couple of years after planting, prune back by two-thirds. Learn how to make the most of a small space, how to cope with a slope, and the ten most common mistakes people make, according to professional garden designers, and how to avoid them.Enjoy insights on everything from paths and parking spaces to wildflowers and water features, so that you can be confident in starting to create the garden of your dreams. Vibrant color and reliable blooms can be yours year-round! Winter heather provides colour in the coldest months. Rock gardens. Established trees should be fertilized every 2-3 years. Root rot may occur in poorly drained soils. Erica (Heather family) Planting and Growing Guide - Seasonal Gardening In stores or online. Almost all gardens have an array of flowering plants to be admired during the summer, but in winter things usually look a little bleaker. Excellent for use in difficult spots where nothing else can survive. A lovely winter heather against mid-green foliage. Pot-grown heathers will need feeding during the growing season choose a fertiliser formulated for ericaceous plants and follow the instructions on the bottle or packet. Also known as Winter Heath or Spring Heath, Erica carnea brings a haze of color to the late winter and early spring landscape. Flesh colored (. Mounds of fine, evergreen foliage provide the perfect backdrop for clusters of bell-like blooms. To tell them apart you can look at their leaves: Calluna has small, scale-like leaves, Erica has needle-like leaves and Daboecia has small, oval to lance-shaped foliage. Some sources indicate Erica carnea survives in zone 4, and maybe even zone 3 with adequate protection. It feels at home in sandy, clayey, and peaty soils with good drainage and a neutral to acidic pH value, though it also tolerates alkaline soils. Morphology: This is a slow growing, broadleaf evergreen ground cover, which grows to 1' in height and up to 2' in . Erica heathers typically flower in winter and spring (there are some summer-flowering species). Excellent ground cover, this heather has dark-green foliage and a dense, bushy habit. To do this, dig a hole slightly deeper than the height of the root ball. Height/spread 30cm x 45cm. Space plants far enough from building foundations, walls, and decks so that the growing foliage wont crowd the structure. In fact, it is even used in traditional and herbal medicine as an infusion or tea. To keep winter heath looking vibrant and healthy, it is important to prune it regularly. From botanical wonders in Australia to tranquil havens closer to home in Ireland, let this guide help you to discover some of the most glorious gardens around the world, SALE STARTS NOW | Subscribe today for Gardens Illustrated magazine direct to your door. Hardiness ratings RHS H6, USDA 6a-8b. Still ideal for hanging baskets. The first warm days of late March and April see this selection's stems loaded with buds between deep green, needle-like foliage and starting to flame into color. Erica carnea 'Tanja' Heather - Plants4Home The cultivar Springwood Pink is known for its pink urn-shaped blossoms in mid winter. Thereafter, little pruning is necessary. Furthermore, winter heathers in pots need watering more frequently, as there is no water supply from deeper soil layers. Often found among, Over 100 cultivars named, with flower colors of white, and shades of pink and purple. (1-3)white-pink-red-blue (yellow), urceolate, axillary, on short lateral shoots; anther exerted from corolla. With over 100 named cultivars, the colors available range from white to shades of both pink and purple. Good Evergreen, easy to grow, small, manageable and long-flowering, winter heathers are the ideal low-maintenance plant, although their image suffered after their rise in popularity in the 1960s when they became associated with dwarf conifers and dull ornamental grasses. Erica carnea 'Golden Starlet' (Winter Heath) - Gardenia Average - 12 in. Feed with a general-purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. Spreading along the ground by procumbent stems, this perennial will form a dense ground cover over time. Add special heath fertilizer in spring. If pruning is needed, it must be done immediately after flowering. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from Gardens Illustrated and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? This enriches the soil and loosens the existing dirt so that new roots can spread easily. Fertilizers are available in many forms: granulated, slow-release, liquid feeds, organic or synthetic. Height/spread 10cm x 30cm. On poor sites and with older plants, a little fertilising can increase the vitality of your plants. Don't miss our latest subscription offer! Lost your password? Your Rating During the summer, and especially in dry conditions, make sure to water your winter heather regularly. Join now and start creating your dream garden! Planting winter flowering heather in your garden or on your balcony will allow you to enjoy flowering plants even in the winter. It requires moist, well-drained soil with high organic content and low fertility, full sun to part shade. Erica heather - caring for winter heather in ground and pot Day Spring. They have needle-like evergreen leaves and form mat-like growths which may reach to 30 cm. Winter heath requires regular watering, especially during dry periods. We will inform you when the product arrives in stock. It is a low-growing, spreading subshrub reaching 1025cm (410in) tall, with evergreen needle-like leaves 48 millimetres (0.160.31in) long, borne in whorls of four. Email: info@plants4home.com. Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Plants prefercool summer temperatures, so they are a challenge in the south. Deep watering encourages roots to grow further into the ground resulting in a sturdier plant with more drought tolerance. A striking heather with bright, golden-yellow foliage that turns orange in winter. This plant forms a dense mat over time and makes an excellent choice for slopes. Also, winter heath grows in symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi, so it is important not to remove the soil from the root ball which contains these beneficial organisms. First off, try a real nursery where you can get good plants and good advice. Winter-flowering heather with dainty white bells with chocolate anthers. All heathers thrive in acid soil, in full sun to partial shade, although winter- and spring-flowering Erica carnea and Erica darleyensis, and summer-flowering Erica vagans will tolerate neutral to alkaline soil (with a pH of 7 or more), especially if the soil has been enriched with well-rotted organic matter such as manure or compost. Evergreen, Heaths (Erica) and Heathers (Calluna vulgaris) are terrific plants that deserve a spot in the garden. Erica carnea | Landscape Plants | Oregon State University When pruning to control a plants size or shape, cuts should be made just above a leaf bud and at a slight angle. Read our Commitment to Diversity | Read our Privacy Statement. Water the plant well then add a 2 (5cm) layer of mulch, such as shredded bark, around the planting area. In order to achieve sharp soil drainage, heaths are sometimes planted in raised beds. If no alternative is available, improve the soil by adding peat or a coarse grit. Erica carnea Pink Heather. So, fertilise potted plants annually with a small amount of Plantura Hydrangea Food, for instance, or regularly repot into fresh soil. Plants may be sheared lightly after flowers fade, but not any later since flower buds are formed during the summer. In St. Louis, plants should be covered in winter with mulch (e.g., evergreen boughs or straw). To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of our site. There are many tools available depending on the job. A good ground cover plant bred by Kurt Kramer in Germany. Cookies, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, How to Grow and Care for Heaths and Heathers. Winter-flowering heathers have another great attribute: they are bee-friendly plants. Eason' (Bell Heather), Erica cinerea 'Velvet Night' (Bell Heather), Erica x darleyensis 'Ghost Hills' (Winter Heath), Erica x darleyensis 'Furzey' (Winter Heath), Erica x darleyensis 'Darley Dale' (Winter Heath), Helleborus Winter Jewels 'Golden Lotus' (Hellebore), Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' (Bloodtwig Dogwood), Carex comans 'Frosted Curls' (New Zealand Hair Sedge), Crocus vernus 'Jeanne d'Arc' (Dutch Crocus), Create a Garden with Great Winter Interest, Want Garden Inspiration? Hardiness ratings RHS H6, USDA 6a-8b. Comparatively large, lilac-pink heather flowers from late autumn to spring on compact plants with mid-green foliage. Summer-flowering heather comes in a range of colours, including pink (pictured. Some afternoon shade would be beneficial. The pale-pink flowers open from early winter to mid spring. Heathers & Heaths | Portland Nursery Erica darleyensis | Landscape Plants | Oregon State University Repot the heather clump in spring, after it has bloomed. Daboecia heathers flower in spring, summer or autumn (depending on the species) and need a sandy, acid soil to thrive. Its also possible to set it up between shrubs, so it can weave its way along the ground in a shrub bed thats planted with small conifers, covering the soil up in a lush, dense blanket, and you can even guide it along edges, lining a walkway for instance. Erica carnea (herbacea) The flower buds are formed in the autumn of the previous year. Hardiness ratings RHS H6, USDA 6a-8b. Need advice? Shell-pink flowers in long spikes in late winter through to late spring. Also after flowering, cutthe leafy stems by half which will trigger branching out to keep the plant tight and dense. This Heath is relatively care-free and grows in a sprawling manner, sending aerial roots as it grows outward. Frequently used with. How to Grow and Care for Heather Shrubs - The Spruce Heathers A hand-picked selection of heathers is available online all year round, subject to availability | Enquiries for other varieties are welcome All Year Round Colour loved by bees and butterflies as well as having all sorts of uses in the garden. Protect your plants from strong winds. A compact heather with sparse, whisky-coloured foliage. When planting into a flower bed, make sure to use a well-draining soil. Showy fleshy colored pink bell-to urn shaped appear January to March. Seedling raised and selected by Kurt Kramer in 2010. If you are cultivating winter heaths in pots, give them a little fertiliser or repot them during the summer months. A choreography of white, pink and purple bells swells up from beneath the monotonous white winter mantle. AGM. The container can also be removed by carefully cutting it down the side. Its leaves are always needle-like and whorled and flowers are urceolate, urn shaped. Great in pots. Powdery mildew, rust and wilt. Heathers are widely available from garden centres and nurseries. Please leave your valid email address below. Is the winter heath bee-friendly?Due to its early flowering time, the winter heath is an important plant for bees when they first emerge after the winter.