Erica carnea
Heather, Spring heath, Mountain heath, Winter heath
Also known as Erica herbacea, Erica Winter
- Height × spread
- 0.15m – 0.25m × 0.2m – 1.2m
- Position
- Full sun
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
Evergreen winter flowering shrub, ideal as low-growing ground cover. Tiny tubular blooms in white, pink, red or purple appear in winter and last till spring, an early feast for the bees. In green, golden yellow or orange, the foliage adds colour year-round. With a spreading habit, reaches height of 10cm-30cm. Easy to grow, it likes a sunny spot and copes well with poor soil. Great idea for pots.
- Flower colour
- Lavender, Lilac, Pink, Purple, Red, Violet, White
- Foliage colour
- Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Yellow
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Dome, Prostrate
- Height
- 0.15m – 0.25m
- Spread
- 0.2m – 1.2m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Autumn, Winter
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Winter garden, Seaside garden, Rock garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Gravelly soil, Loam (normal), Poor soil, Sandy soil
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil
- Winter hardiness
- Varies, most are hardy
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Ground cover, Bee attraction, Butterfly attraction
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed young plants with slow release fertiliser for ericaceous plants
Spread a slow release fertiliser for ericaceous plants around the base of the plant to the edge of the foliage spread before applying any mulch, so that it can feed the roots. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost until the plant becomes well established.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water during dry periods
For plants in the ground, when there has been little or no rain for a period of 7-10 days and the soil is dry, give it a deep watering and repeat weekly until there is a downpour of rain. Check plants in pots more frequently, especially in hot weather.
Planting & general
Planting
Prune young growth after flowering
When the plant has finished flowering, remove the flower and most of the young growth that the plant has made. Leave just around 2 centimetres of young growth on the plant. Don't cut into old wood unless it is diseased or damaged.
Found in
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