Erica carnea
| Erica carnea | |
|---|---|
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| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Erica |
| Species: | E. carnea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Erica carnea | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Erica carnea, the winter heath,coniferous woodlands or stony slopes.
Description
It is a low-growing, spreading
leaves 4–8 millimetres (1⁄8–3⁄8 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 (3⁄16–1⁄4 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
It is very widely grown as an
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]
- 'Adrienne Duncan'[5]
- 'Ann Sparkes' [6]
- 'Challenger'[7]
- 'Eva' [8]
- 'Loughrigg'[9]
- 'March Seedling' [10]
- 'Myretoun Ruby'[11]
- 'Nathalie'[12]
- 'Pink Spangles'[13]
- 'Rosalie'[14]
- 'Vivellii'[15]
- 'Wintersonne' [16]
- E. carnea f. alba (white-flowered):
- E. carnea f. aureifolia (golden-leaved):
- E. × darleyensis (E. carnea × E. erigena)[3]
- 'Jenny Porter'[23]
References
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ISBN 9781845337315.
- ^ ISBN 978-1405332965.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 35. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Adrienne Duncan'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "Erica carnea 'Ann Sparkes'". RHS. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Challenger'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "Erica carnea 'Eva'". RHS. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Loughrigg'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "Erica carnea 'March Seedling'". RHS. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Myretoun Ruby'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Nathalie'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Pink Spangles'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Rosalie'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica carnea 'Vivellii'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "Erica carnea 'Wintersonne'". RHS. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. alba 'Golden Starlet'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. alba 'Ice Princess'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. alba 'Isabell'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. alba 'Springwood White'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. aureifolia 'Foxhollow'". Retrieved 18 June 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - E. carnea f. aureifolia 'Westwood Yellow'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica × darleyensis 'Jenny Porter'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Erica carnea.