Erica carnea
Snow Heather, Spring Heath, Winter Heath, Snow Heath, Heather "carnea", Heath
Description
Cultivated heathers are often hybrids of Erica carnea x Erica erigena. The botanical genus includes numerous species. The species carnea has flowers from autumn to early spring, needle-shaped leaves, pink flowers united in racemes distributed throughout the foliage to colour the small, compact bush diffusely.
Heather is an evergreen perennial shrub with a generally compact and very low habit. Most cultivated varieties reach a height of between 20 and 50 centimetres, although some species such asErica arborea can reach up to 5-7 metres in optimal conditions.
The leaves are the first distinguishing feature: small, needle-shaped, arranged along thin branches and deep green, which in some varieties fades to yellow, rust or orange shades during the cold season. The flowers, a true ornamental highlight, have a characteristic bell shape and are grouped in spikes or terminal racemes on the previous year's branches. The colour palette ranges from snow-white to delicate pink, including deep purple, red and purple.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Magnoliophyta
- Class
- Angiospermae
- Order
- Ericales
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Erica
- Species
- Erica carnea
Synonyms (10)
- Erica herbacea
- Erica hibernica
- Erica lugubris
- Erica mediterranea
- Erica pallidopurpurea
- Erica saxatilis
- Ericoides herbacea
- Ericoides pallidopurpurea
- Gypsocallis carnea
- Gypsocallis mediterranea
