| Scientific Name: | Erica carnea |
| Common Name: | winter heather |
| Family Name: | Ericaceae |
| Origin: | Europe |
| Hardiness Zone: | Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C) |
| Plant Type: | Ground cover |
| Mature Size: | 0.2 - 0.4m x 0.6 - 1.0m (height x width) |
| Habit: | Dense, Spreading |
| Form: | Creeping / Mat-like, Mounded |
| Texture: | Fine |
| Landscape Uses: | Container planting, Erosion control, Filler, Fragrance, Group or mass planting, Rock garden, Spring interest, Winter interest |
| Exposure: | Full sun, Part sun/part shade |
| Soil or Media: | Acidic, Well-drained |
| Leaves: | Simple, Needle-like, Whorled, Soft flexible, Glabrous, Lustrous, Acicular, Linear, Entire |
| Flowers: | Flowers clustered, White, Violet, Pink, Red, Dark-red, Jan-Feb-Mar-Apr-Dec |
| Fruit: | Capsule, Brown, May-Jun |
| Key ID Features: | |
| Small evergreen, most 20-30cm tall; leaves needle-like, glabrous, in whorls of 3 or 4 and held at 90 degrees to stem, most 6-10mm long x ~1mm wide; flowers urn-shaped, 5-7mm long, clustered amongst leaves on one side of stem, most cultivars bloom for 6-8 weeks between Dec. and Apr. | |