About Erica carnea L.
Erica carnea L. is a low-growing, spreading subshrub that reaches 10–25 centimetres (4–10 inches) in height. It has evergreen, needle-like leaves that measure 4–8 millimetres (1⁄8–3⁄8 in) long, and these leaves are borne in whorls of four. Flowers grow in racemes from late winter to early spring, often beginning to bloom while the plant is still covered in snow. Individual flowers are slender bell-shaped, 4–6 mm (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) long, most often dark reddish-pink, and rarely white. Erica carnea has been cultivated in the United Kingdom since at least 1763. It is very widely grown as an ornamental plant valued for its winter flowering, and over 100 cultivars have been selected for variation in flower and leaf colour. Unlike most Erica species, which are typically calcifuges, Erica carnea tolerates both mildly alkaline and acidic soils, which allows it to be grown more easily in many areas. Like other species in the genus Erica, it is often used as groundcover among plantings of dwarf conifers. The following cultivars, forms and hybrids of Erica carnea have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:
