Winter Heath Heather

Start pruning after the risk of frost has passed so the stems of your heathers do not suffer any damage.

Winter heath heather. One of the earliest erica carnea winter heath to bloom december red exhibits masses of narrow urn shaped flowers that open pink and deepen light purple over the season. All true heathers are cultivars of just one species calluna vulgaris which some botanists erroneously classify as erica vulgaris and there are easily more than 500 varieties available most are summer blooming ranging from white to rose to deep purple and their foliage is green to fire orange. Darleyensis and the summer flowering e. Some sources indicate erica carnea survives in zone 4 and maybe even zone 3 with adequate protection.

The best winter flowering heathers evergreen easy to grow small manageable and long flowering 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 grasses. Their leaves are small. Kramer s red winter heath is a mounding evergreen shrub with stunning winter color. They will grow in an acid soil or neutral to alkaline soil ph reading of 7 0 or higher as long as there is plenty of well rotted organic matter.

This winter heath is very hardy and requires little care once established in the garden. Heather that flowers in winter is likely erica carnea actually a type of winter blooming heath which grows in usda plant hardiness zones 5 through 7. Winter and spring flowering erica carnea e. Its breathtaking magenta blooms cover the shrub from january through april.

Notice that while sometimes referred to as heather plants erica x darleyensis mediterranean pink is more precisely termed winter heath that is because technically the true heather plants are classified as calluna vulgaris. Heathers will either bloom in the winter or the summer but it s recommended to keep any past blooms attached throughout the winter to protect the roots. Vagans will tolerate a slightly heavier soil than the acid loving heathers. Blooming heavily for weeks from early to late winter dec feb they beautifully smother the needle like mid green foliage.

Must know facts about heather the difference between heathers and heaths. Planting winter heather winter heather also called erica heather is best planted at the end of summer or during fall and even in winter if it doesn t freeze. Kramer s red winter heath erica x darleyensis kramer s rote sku 1796 establishes quickly to create a fine dense groundcover or border.