Erica carnea

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Erica carnea
Schneeheide (Erica herbacea) im Schnee.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Erica
Species:
E. carnea
Binomial name
Erica carnea
L.
Synonyms
  • Erica herbacea
  • Erica mediterranea

Erica carnea, the winter heath, [1] winter-flowering heather, spring heath or alpine heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to mountainous areas of central, eastern and southern Europe, where it grows in coniferous woodlands or stony slopes.

Contents

Description

It is a low-growing, spreading subshrub reaching 10–25 centimetres (4–10 inches) tall, with evergreen needle-like leaves 4–8 millimetres (1838 in) long, borne in whorls of four. The flowers are produced in racemes in late winter to early spring, often starting to flower while the plant is still covered in snow; the individual flower is a slender bell-shape, 4–6 mm (31614 in) long, dark reddish-pink, rarely white.

Taxonomy

The first published name for the species was Erica herbacea; however, the name E. carnea (published three pages later in the same book) is so widely used, and the earlier name so little, that a formal proposal to conserve the name E. carnea over E. herbacea was accepted by the International Botanical Congress in 1999.

The Latin specific epithet carnea means "flesh pink". [2]

Cultivation

Erica carnea 003.JPG
Cultivar series Springwood Erica carnea Springwood.JPG
Cultivar series Springwood
A close-up of the flower and leaf Erica carnea close-up.jpg
A close-up of the flower and leaf

It is very widely grown as an ornamental plant for its winter flowering; over 100 cultivars have been selected for variation in flower and leaf colour. Unlike most species of Erica, which are typically calcifuges, it tolerates mildly alkaline as well as acidic soils, making it easier to grow in many areas. Like other species within the genus Erica it is often seen as groundcover amongst plantings of dwarf conifers. [3]

The following cultivars, forms and hybrids have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit: [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Canna</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants in the family Cannaceae

Canna or canna lily is the only genus of flowering plants in the family Cannaceae, consisting of 10 species. All of the genus's species are native to the American tropics and naturalized in Europe, India and Africa in the 1860s. Although they grow native to the tropics, most cultivars have been developed in temperate climates and are easy to grow in most countries of the world, as long as they receive at least 6–8 hours average sunlight during the summer, and are moved to a warm location for the winter. See the Canna cultivar gallery for photographs of Canna cultivars.

<i>Erica arborea</i> Species of flowering plant

Erica arborea, the tree heath or tree heather, is a species of flowering plant (angiosperms) in the heather family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. It is also cultivated as an ornamental.

<i>Erica</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae

Erica is a genus of roughly 857 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names heath and heather are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance. The genus Calluna was formerly included in Erica – it differs in having even smaller scale-leaves, and the flower corolla consisting of separate petals. Erica is sometimes referred to as "winter heather" to distinguish it from Calluna "summer heather".

<i>Alstroemeria</i> Genus of South American flowering plants

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<i>Hydrangea macrophylla</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae

Hydrangea macrophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to China. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 2 m (7 ft) tall by 2.5 m (8 ft) broad with large heads of pink or blue flowers in summer and autumn. Common names include bigleaf hydrangea, French hydrangea, lacecap hydrangea, mophead hydrangea, and hortensia. It is widely cultivated in many parts of the world in many climates. It is not to be confused with H. aspera 'Macrophylla'.

<i>Wisteria floribunda</i> Species of legume

Wisteria floribunda, common name Japanese wisteria, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to Japan. Growing to 9 m (30 ft), Wisteria floribunda is a woody, deciduous twining climber. It was first brought from Japan to the United States in the 1830s. Since then, it has become one of the most highly romanticized flowering garden plants. It is also a common subject for bonsai, along with Wisteria sinensis.

<i>Erica vagans</i> Species of flowering plant

Erica vagans, the Cornish heath or wandering heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to Ireland, Cornwall, western France and Spain. It is a vigorous, spreading, evergreen heather reaching 75 cm (30 in) tall and wide, with pink flowers borne in racemes 14 cm (6 in) long in summer and autumn. The Latin specific epithet vagans literally means "wandering"; in this context it means "widely distributed".

<i>Erica cinerea</i> Species of flowering plant in the heather family Ericaceae

Erica cinerea, the bell heather, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, native to western and central Europe.

<i>Erica tetralix</i> Species of flowering plant in the heather family Ericaceae

Erica tetralix, the cross-leaved heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to western Europe.

<i>Astilbe</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae

Astilbe is a genus of 18 species of rhizomatous flowering plants within the family Saxifragaceae, native to mountain ravines and woodlands in Asia and North America. Some species are known by the common names false goat's beard and false spirea.

<i>Lavandula angustifolia</i> Species of plant

Lavandula angustifolia, formerly L. officinalis, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean. Its common names include lavender, true lavender and English lavender ; also garden lavender, common lavender and narrow-leaved lavender.

<i>Dicentra formosa</i> Species of flowering plants in the poppy family Papaveraceae

Dicentra formosa is a flowering plant with fern-like leaves and an inflorescence of drooping pink, purple, yellow or cream flowers native to the Pacific Coast of North America.

<i>Euonymus fortunei</i> Species of flowering plant

Euonymus fortunei, the spindle, Fortune's spindle, winter creeper or wintercreeper, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to east Asia, including China, Korea, the Philippines and Japan. E. fortunei is highly invasive and damaging in the United States, causing the death of trees and forest in urban areas.

<i>Erica lusitanica</i> Species of flowering plant

Erica lusitanica is a European species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, known by the common names Portuguese heath and Spanish heath.

<i>Diascia</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Diascia is a genus of around 70 species of herbaceous annual and perennial flowering plants of the family Scrophulariaceae, native to southern Africa, including South Africa, Lesotho and neighbouring areas.

<i>Hydrangea serrata</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae

Hydrangea serrata is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to mountainous regions of Korea and Japan. Common names include mountain hydrangea and tea of heaven. Growing to 1.2 m (4 ft) tall and broad, it is a deciduous shrub with oval leaves and panicles of blue and pink flowers in summer and autumn (fall). It is widely cultivated as an attractive ornamental shrub throughout the world in areas with suitable climate and soil.

<i>Cyclamen persicum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae

Cyclamen persicum, the Persian cyclamen, is a species of flowering herbaceous perennial plant growing from a tuber, native to rocky hillsides, shrubland, and woodland up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level, from south-central Turkey to Lebanon-Syria and the Palestine region. It also grows in Algeria and Tunisia and on the Greek islands of Rhodes, Karpathos, and Crete, where it may have been introduced by monks. Cultivars of this species are the commonly seen florist's cyclamen.

<i>Erica erigena</i> Species of flowering plant

Erica erigena, the Irish heath, is a European species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae.

<i>Erica terminalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Erica terminalis, the Corsican heath or upright heath, is a European species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae.

<i>Erica <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> darleyensis</i> Hybrid species of flowering plant

Erica × darleyensis, is a plant hybrid between the heathers E. carnea and E. erigena, probably of garden origin.

References

  1. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN   9781845337315.
  3. 1 2 RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN   978-1405332965.
  4. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 35. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  5. "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Adrienne Duncan'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  6. "Erica carnea 'Ann Sparkes'". RHS. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  7. "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Challenger'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  8. "Erica carnea 'Eva'". RHS. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  9. "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Loughrigg'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  10. "Erica carnea 'March Seedling'". RHS. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  11. "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Myretoun Ruby'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  12. "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Nathalie'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  13. "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Pink Spangles'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  14. "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Rosalie'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  15. "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Vivellii'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  16. "Erica carnea 'Wintersonne'". RHS. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  17. "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. alba 'Golden Starlet'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  18. "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. alba 'Ice Princess'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  19. "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. alba 'Isabell'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  20. "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. alba 'Springwood White'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  21. "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. aureifolia 'Foxhollow'" . Retrieved 18 June 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  22. "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. aureifolia 'Westwood Yellow'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  23. "RHS Plant Selector - Erica × darleyensis 'Jenny Porter'" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.