What is the difference between erica and calluna

The best planting companions may include pines all sizes to choose from , white stemmed birches , mountain ash species and cultivars Sorbus , Cornus , acid-loving Gaultheria mucronata and Vaccinium. Grasses can produce attractive foliage contrasts. Add spring-flowering bulbs such as snowdrops, Iris histrioides and Iris reticulata cultivars. White flowered heather such as Erica carnea f.

Heathers can suffer from Phytophthora root rot , especially in warmer climates. Rabbits and deer grazing in rural areas. This books is made available through the RHS Library.

Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. Take action Why take action? Support us Donate Careers Commercial opportunities Leave a legacy. Join the RHS today and support our charitable work Join now. Hot links Browse inspiration articles Buy plants online. Buy tickets. RHS members get reduced ticket prices Join now.

Harlow Carr North Yorkshire. Hyde Hall Essex. Rosemoor Devon. Wisley Surrey. Bridgewater Greater Manchester. Environmentally friendly gardening. Plant health. Take part in our research. Meet the team. Shop plants rhsplants.

Shopping with the RHS. Erica x darleyensis 'Alba' Winter Heath. Erica x darleyensis 'Arthur Johnson' Winter Heath. Erica x darleyensis 'Darley Dale' Winter Heath. Erica x darleyensis 'Furzey' Winter Heath. Erica x darleyensis 'Ghost Hills' Winter Heath. Erica x darleyensis 'Kramer's Rote' Winter Heath.

Heat Zones 5 - 7 What's My Zone? Not sure which Erica and Calluna to pick? Recommended Companion Plants. Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone Vigorous, Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone is a dwarf herbaceous perennial producing masses of Scilla siberica Siberian Squill One of the earliest spring bloomers, Scilla siberica is a bulbous perennial boasting intense blue, Want Garden Inspiration?

Related Items Guides. Pretty Flowers for your Winter Garden Most people celebrate daffodils as the harbingers of A Fragrant Path Providing months of fragrance and color, while being Created by Carter A Welcoming Hedge What a fabulous and distinctive hedge! All plants won the Get garden design ideas Find your perfect garden.

Find the plants that work for you Ideas for seasons and regions. Design your garden Use our interactive tools to design your dream garden. Find your Hardiness Zone. Where are you based? Find your Climate Zone. Find your Heat Zone. My Region USA. Create New Collection. Please Login to Proceed. Join Gardenia.

Join now and start creating your dream garden! Create a New Collection Collection Name. Collection Description Optional. For your reference. Cancel Create Collection.

Subscribe to Gardenia. Go to Garden Design Tools Done. Cancel Delete. Note this is the default cart. Only plants will be removed from the collection.

It bears masses of pure white bell-shaped flowers from January to March over bright green foliage. Schneekuppe is a good choice for a tall groundcover if planted tightly enough. Heather Erica Car Springwood Pink makes a wonderful addition to a rock garden or as a ground cover.

Light pink flowers which deepens with age. Blooms from January to May. The new growth is bronze turning to bright green. Springwood pink has a vigorous trailing habit. Heather Erica X Dar. Alba is a bushy compact variety that stays fairly low. Dark green foliage makes a wonderful contrast to the long blooming white flowers. Blooms from November to May. Eva Gold is a compact, rounded, evergreen shrub foliage is light green when young, chartreuse yellow in summer, and turning mostly green by winter.

Small, tubular, magenta flowers bloom from January to April. Furzey is a winter and spring flowering heather with deep green leaves and dark rose-pink flowers, from December to April. Furzey has a vigorous spreading habit. Ghost Hills is a fall to spring flowering heather. Some of the tree-heathers such as E. Ericas are also best grown in an acidic soil but they are perhaps the most popular with gardeners because some will tolerate more alkaline soils.

It is the winter and spring flowering cultivars that have this adaptability. Most of the Calluna cultivars are derived from the vulgaris species, there are over cultivars available, flower colour is usually a shade of red, purple, pink or white. Whilst the Calluna and Erica dominate the Ericaceae family, another genera namely Daboecia is also a welcome addition to any heather garden.

Heaths and heathers provide excellent groundcover, when established they can create a multi-coloured carpet, from a distance giving a very appealing patchwork effect.

Such heath and heather patchwork carpets act as excellent weed suppressants and require little maintenance apart from a light trim with a pair of shears after each plant has flowered. This pruning however does need to be done carefully, the heaths and heathers are similar to the lavenders in that the older, basal, often leafless wood does not respond well to pruning so I would advise not to cut back lower than where you can see active foliage growth.

If your garden is big enough, you could consider an border or area dedicated to Heaths and Heathers, they look particularly stunning when mixed with various dwarf conifers of upright habit that add a vertical interest. They are very affective when grouped together in pots, situated maybe on a sunny south-facing patio. They require considerably less care than traditional bedding provided that you use ericaceous compost and water with lime free rainwater.

Heaths and heathers do not live forever; they can become straggly and less floriferous with age. Every 10 years or so you will probably want to replace your stock with younger, more floriferous plants. There are various methods of propagation.