Bi-coloured flowers purple bases and white mouths; deep green foliage; semi-erect; height 40cm. The reverse of the “normal” bi-colours in bell heathers. Collected in at Lettergesh, Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, and named after Dr E. G. H. Oliver.
An unusual flower makes this a very pretty cultivar.
Lilac-pink (H11) flowers, IV–VI; dark green foliage; height at least 1m; spread 75–100cm. Outstanding, but requires to be well pruned to avoid it becoming straggly.
One of a group of larger taller heathers which are spectacular in spring as a backdrop to other plants.
Selected seedling resulting from the breeding programme of Kurt Kramer in Edewecht-Siiddorf, Germany 1992, and introduced by Kingfisher Nursery, Gedney Hill, Lincolnshire, England, in 1994. Plant Breeders’ Rights granted in Germany on 31 March 1995. This is a tetraploid and hence fertile.
A recommended heather to grow in your garden.
Image courtesy of Sten-Börje Sörensson.
Flowers: small, to 4mm long, white at the base shading to pale pink at the lobes, with green-tipped sepals. End of style tinged red; II–III; foliage dark green; habit broad compact; height 50cm; spread 50cm.
This compact shrub with densely clustered small flowers is tolerant of alkaline soil and so is ideal for gardens that do not have acid soil. It will tolerate gravelly or rocky sites.’Ivory’ blooms in late winter and early spring and is frost-hardy. The individual flowers have pink lobes and notably dark anthers. This cultivar was first reported in 1978 as having been introduced by R. E. Hardwick, The Nurseries, Newick, Lewes, Sussex, but its origins are unknown. Plants grown under this name in England have malformed stamens and style but this does not affect the overall appearance.
A recommended cultivar with unusual foliage. Bred by Kurt Kramer (Edewecht, Germany) using ‘Myretoun Ruby‘ as one of the parents.
Named after the famous blended whisky, and marketed in Europe under the trade designation Whisky.
Image courtesy of Sten-Börje Sörensson.
A very popular plant to be found in many garden centres. Will brighten a dull winter flower bed.
Magenta (H14) flowers, I–IV; dark bronze-green foliage; height 31–45cm; spread 46–60cm. A selected seedling from the deliberate cross by Kurt Kramer between Erica carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby‘ and Erica erigena ‘Brightness‘. An outstanding plant, now very widely planted. It has produce a host of sports some of which are listed here.
A lovely silver grey foliage plant to enhance your heather bed at any time of the year.
Lavender flowers in August to October; vigorous, upright habit; height 31–45cm; spread 46–60cm. Named after Yvette Knutson, a one-time employee of David Wilson (British Columbia, Canada).
Image courtesy of David Plumridge.
Flowers pale pink “with a hint of coral”; corolla translucent; sepals pearly white; anthers dark maroon; style strongly exserted; pedicels dusky red; VII/VIII-XI; Chance seedling before 2005, most probably from ‘Toothill Mustard’; found by R. Canovan in his garden. Registered on 20 December 2010 by Richard Canovan, Toothill, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Deep rose-pink (H7) flowers, VIII–X; dark green foliage. Deliberately bred seedling raised by Kurt Kramer (Edewecht, Germany). Selected and introduced by Forest Edge Nurseries; named by Miss Samantha Cordwell. Registered 10 January 2007 by David Edge, Forest Edge Nurseries, Woodlands, Wimborne, Dorset.
Image courtesy of Sten-Bõrje Sõrensson
Flowers light pink, tubular, 20mm, 3mm diameter; arranged in terminal 4-flowered, or occasionally 3-flowered, umbels, on very short lateral branches. Synflorescences neat, spike-like, each with up to 6 whorls of flowering branches, on strong, erect, main branches; terminal apex of the stem continuing growth. Non-flowering lateral branches on the main flowering stems to 4–5cm long, arranged in whorls of 5. Medium-sized, erect clone, to an average height of 1.0–1.2m, spread to 0.5m. Viable seed produced sparingly.
Origins: accession number 548/06; from the collection of the late Dr Violet Gray who was a member of The Heather Society’s Cape Heaths Group; she is also commemorated in Calluna vulgaris ‘Mrs Ronald Gray’.
Being of South African origin the plant is not regarded as hardy in the UK and is preferably grown in a pot, using ericaceous compost, and brought into a frost free, light and airy environment during the winter months.
® E.2012:09 registered by Anthony Hitchcock, Nursery, Plant Collections & Threatened Species Program Manager Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden.
Image courtesy of Phil Joyner.
