Winter heathers are really useful and are one of the few plants to reliably flower during the winter.
You may find three kinds of heathers on sale during the winter,
One group is from South Africa (cape heathers) and are grown as house plants, they will be taller with long colourful spikes of flower
If you buy cape heather, erica gracilis, just enjoy the flowers, as it is not hardy and needs an acidic soil or compost to grow, you may find it difficult to keep.
Very colourful, long lasting flowers, happy in the house relatively cheap to buy
Not hardy but hey its a cheap bunch of flowers.
The other is a native of Europe, tough and easy to grow, with small needle-like leaves on short stems, the Erica varieties will form a low carpet covered in little bellflowers
They are a popular plant to promote in stores and garden centres, and are grown in huge quantities on the continent and are relatively inexpensive. You won’t get much choice of colours or varieties. Available in white pink and red they are nearly always erica darleyensis varieties bred by Mr Kramer in Germany. Beginning in 1974, he started to produce new varieties his first breeding success was the interspecific hybrid Erica x darleyensis named ‘Kramers Rote’ and introduced in 1984. Mr Kramer has revolutionised heathers with his new range of colourful bud heathers
There are other ericas available and you will be able to find them in the garden centre or from specialist nurseries.
Erica carnea varieties tend to flower late winter and early spring, erica x darleyensis will flower mid-winter. Easy to look after, they grow very slowly and only need a light trim after flowering.
Easy to look after, not fussy about soil or position, they grow very slowly and only need a light trim after flowering.
As an outdoor plant they don’t enjoy being in a warm store and dry out quickly. Buy as soon as they come in. Avoid plants that have dropped any leaves, or visit a garden centre or nursery where they will be displayed outside.
The third group are called painted heathers and are easily recognised by the bold and vivid colours.
They flatter to deceive, If you look closely you might see the coloured dye running down the pots. These are normal calluna heathers coloured with long-lasting waterproof dye.
Difficult to see the point of them, they still sell in huge quantities. They can survive but the calluna plant needs an acidic soil or compost to grow, new leaves will grow in the spring and flowers will appear in the summer. They have slightly been replaced by the more natural colourful bud heathers
Long lasting colour, they do make you stop and look.
As an outdoor plant they don’t enjoy being in a warm store and dry out quickly. Buy as soon as they come in. Avoid plants that have dropped any leaves, or visit a garden centre or nursery where they will be displayed outside. There are better natural alternatives try bud heathers
