Plant Taxonomy of Heather Plants:
Plant taxonomy classifies the heather plants I deal with in this article as Erica x darleyensis 'Mediterranean Pink'. 'Mediterranean Pink' is the cultivar name.
Erica x darleyensis 'Mediterranean Pink' is more precisely termed one of the "heaths" (and to be even more specific, winter heath). Technically, the true heather plants are classified as Calluna vulgaris. But the various types of Erica, which are closely related to Calluna vulgaris, are grouped with the latter and also loosely referred to as "heather plants." I use the two terms interchangeably in this article.
Plant Type:
Winter heaths are
broadleaf evergreen sub-
shrubs, displaying a mounding growth habit with dense foliage.
Erica x darleyensis 'Mediterranean Pink' is a
hybrid, its parents being
Erica carnea and
Erica erigena. For a picture of the former, click "More Images" under the photo at right.
Erica carnea is native to central and southern Europe, Erica erigena to Ireland.
Characteristics:
Despite the broadleaf classification for the foliage of
Erica x darleyensis 'Mediterranean Pink', the leaves are needle-like (as opposed to the scale-like leaves of
Calluna vulgaris). The
pink flowers are bell-shaped and almost totally cover the shrubs when these heather plants are in bloom. The common name "winter heath" alludes to the earliness of the blossoming period. But exact flowering time will depend on your location. Gardeners in the Pacific Northwest (U.S.) may enjoy winter flowers, but here in New England it's an early-spring bloomer, vying with
Adonis and
witch hazel for Most Precocious honors.
Planting Zones:
Scotch heather (
Calluna vulgaris),
indigenous to northern Eurasia, can be grown as far north as
planting zone 4, but
Erica x darleyensis 'Mediterranean Pink' isn't quite so cold-hardy: Zone 6 is listed as its limit, although it can be grown in zone 5 if provided with optimal soil conditions and protection.
Sun and Soil Requirements for Winter Heaths:
Uses:
As small shrubs with dense foliage, heather plants can be massed together to form a
ground cover that will suppress
weeds. Because they require good drainage, they are a candidate for
rock gardens, but they do not tolerate dry soil as well as many other
rock-garden plants, so choose their companions wisely.
Care: Pruning, Fertilizing, Watering, Mulching:
Prune (in this case, "shear lightly" is a better way of putting it) after flowering. When you fertilize, do so with the type of fertilizer you would use for azaleas and other acid-loving plants, or else use
compost. But there's no need to fertilize every year. Irrigate in the absence of rain. Apply
mulch to retain moisture in the soil.
Outstanding Features of Heather Plants:
With their evergreen foliage and a profusion of flowers at a time of year when few other things may be blooming, these heather plants are valued by homeowners seeking
year-round interest in the yard.
Closely-Related Cultivar:
There is also a cultivar with
white flowers called
Erica x darleyensis 'Mediterranean White'.
