What: Winter heaths provide months of color just when we seem to need it most. From January to April, Erica carnea “Rubinteppich” covers itself with hundreds of small urn-shaped, dark purple-red flowers that deepen in color as they mature. This evergreen shrub has a low, spreading habit, making it an excellent groundcover for sunny locations or for adding interest to winter containers. Individual branches are held somewhat upright, and its needle-like leaves are dark gray-green. It is a vigorous grower. “Rubinteppich” was seen as “outstanding” at an evaluation at VanDusen Botanical Garden in 2003, including plants that were growing in some shade. “Rubinteppich” is German for “ruby carpet.”
Where: Heath produces the most flowers in full sun. It prefers a location with well-drained or sandy soil.
Size: As it’s a groundcover, “Rubinteppich” grows to be 6 inches tall and 1 foot and 4 inches wide when mature.
Care: Water this spreading shurb regularly during dry weather. Newly planted heath can dry out quickly once planted, so it is important to water often and deeply when the plant is young. It can also be helpful to soak the plant in a bucket of water to fully saturate the soil before planting. After the blossoms have faded, a light shearing will remove most of the faded flowers and promote dense growth.
— Richie Steffen, Great Plant Picks
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