What: Erica x darleyensis “Kramer’s Rote” has compact form and an upright, bushy habit. Its small, bell-shaped flowers are clear reddish purple and are arranged along stems held at varying angles, which creates textural interest. “Kramer’s Rote” blooms from December into April, its flowers smothering the evergreen, needle-like, bronze-green to dark green leaves. This cultivar was favored by judges during a Great Plant Picks Erica evaluation held in 2003 at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, British Columbia. Planted in six locations in the garden, “Kramer’s Rote” caught everyone’s eye. It was admired for its outstanding habit, evergreen foliage and vibrant flowers. “Kramer’s Rote” was made by Kurt Kramer, crossing E. carnea “Myretoun Ruby” with E. erigena “Brightness.”
Where: Heath produces the most flowers in full sun. It prefers a location with well-drained or sandy soil. Mass plantings of this heath create an excellent groundcover for sunny locations, providing outstanding winter interest. Heaths add interest to winter containers and produce nectar that attracts bees on mild winter days.
Size: This hybrid heath, commonly called darley heath, grows to be 1 foot 6 inches tall and 2 feet wide when mature.
Care: It is best to water heath 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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