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Erica arborea var. alpina AGM

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© RHS 1997

Characteristics

Plant type

Shrub

Habit

Bushy

Fragrance

Flower

Resilience

Hardiness

old H4 (hardy)

Colour

Flower

White in Spring

Foliage

Green in Autumn, Spring, Summer and Winter

Size

Ultimate height

1.5-2.5 metres

Ultimate spread

0.5-1 metres

Time to ultimate height

10-20 years


Preferred common name

alpine tree heather

Family

Ericaceae


Erica can be prostrate or erect, evergreen shrubs with fine, needle-like leaves in whorls, and racemes or panicles of small, bell-shaped or tubular flowers

E. arborea var. alpina is a bushy erect medium-sized evergreen shrub to 2m in height, with bright green foliage and small, fragrant white flowers in long panicles

Synonym(s)

  • Erica arborea 'Alpina'

How to grow

Sunlight

  • Full sun

Aspect

  • South-facing, West-facing or East-facing
  • Exposed or Sheltered

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained acidic soil in full sun

Soil

  • Well-drained or Moist but well-drained
  • Acid or Neutral
  • Sand, Clay or Loam

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal, Cottage/Informal Garden, Flower borders and beds or Low Maintenance


How to care

Pruning

Pruning group 8

Pests

Generally pest free

Diseases

May be subject to fungal diseases