‘Apollo’

Pink (H8) flowers, VIII–IX; bright yellow foliage; upright habit; height 31–45cm; spread 46–60cm. Recommended. One of a number of good introductions by Broadhurst Nursery, Cornwall.

‘Arabella’

Brilliant blood-red flowers in profusion, VIII–IX; dark green foliage; open erect habit; height 26–30cm; spread 31–45cm. The flower-colour is similar to ‘Dark Beauty‘.

Introduced by Kurt Kramer (Edewecht-Süddorf, Germany) before 1995. Clone CLL 19; submitted for plant breeders’ rights on 27 August 1993; rights granted in Germany on 31 March 1995; EU rights granted 15 October 1996.

‘Argentea’

Mauve (H2) flowers, VIII–IX; bright green foliage particularly in spring [foliage being whitish at the tips during the summer, and, if anything, a shade more so in winter.’; height 16–20cm; spread 31–45cm.

Mentioned in a sample book at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with a fly-leaf note “William Cripps, Tooting Nurseries [London, England] 11th April 1849”; listed by James Smith in 1867 and by Lawson (Edinburgh, Scotland) in 1874.

Named from argenteus = silvery, a reference to the foliage, although as noted: Maxwell (1927) was acerbic – ‘It was sheer optimism to name this variety argentea … [it] is entirely “without the stamp of merit”.’

‘Ariadne’

Lavender flowers, VIII–IX; bright gold foliage in summer turning red and bronze in winter; vigorous upright habit; height 31–45cm; spread 46–60cm.

Seedling; found by J. N. Anderson in Broadhurst Nursery (Grampound, near Truro, Cornwall, England); introduced by J. N. Anderson before 1982.

A classical name, chosen at random, but also the named of the raiser’s cat.

‘Arina’

Lilac pink (H11) flowers, VII–VIII; mid-green foliage, tipped orange and cream in spring; erect habit; height 31–45cm; spread 46–60cm. One of the earlier spring-foliage Calluna to show colour.

Introduced by Darthuizer Boomkwekerijen, Leersum, Netherlands, in 1972.

Named after Mevrouw Arina Geytenbeek- van Dam, wife of R. Geytenbeek, chief of the heather department at Darthuizer Boomkwekerijen [Ericultura 60: 13 (1986)]

‘Arran Gold’

Mauve (H2) flowers, VII–VIII; superb gold foliage in summer, turning lime-green flecked with red in winter; height 10–15cm; spread 21–25cm.

Wild-collected; found on Beinn Nuis, Isle of Arran, Scotland, by Roger Bell; introduced by D. Hutton (Aberfoyle, near Callander, Perthshire, Scotland) by 1971.

Named after the island in the Firth of Clyde where it was found; gold alludes to the summer foliage.

‘Ashgarth Amber’

Amethyst (H1) flowers, VIII–IX; gold foliage in summer deepening to red in winter; broad spreading habit; height 21–25cm; spread 31–45cm.

‘Ashgarth Shell Pink’

Pink (H8) flowers, VIII–IX; mid-green foliage; semi-dwarf, compact habit; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm.

Seedling; found by Horace (“Papa”) Hale at Ashgarth, Haslemere, Surrey, England, in 1967; introduced by P. G. Davis (Haslemere) by 1969.

Ashgarth was the name of H. Hale’s house; and the colour of the flowers.

‘Asterix’

Pale mauve (H2) flowers, VIII–X; mid-green foliage; generally prostrate habit with erect stems; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm. A seedling found in the grounds of a clinic at Bennekom, Ede, Netherlands, by A. van de Berg and named after one of the buildings at the clinic.