Heathers

Pale heliotrope (H12) flowers, II–V, abundant; mid-green foliage; height 10–15cm; spread 46–60cm. One of the later winter heaths to blossom.

Lilac-pink (H11) flowers, I–III; green foliage in summer turning yellow-bronze in winter; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm.

A sport from ‘Queen Mary‘; found by W. D. Frearson (Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, England); introduced by 1982.

Named after the finder’s wife, Margerie, and is a typographical error.

Pink flowers, II–IV; dark green foliage; open spreading habit; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm. A sport, of Dutch origin, from ‘Rubinteppich‘ and named after the finder’s son.

Pink (H8) flowers, XII–V; grey-green foliage; height 10–15cm; spread 46–60cm.

Collected in Switzerland by Richard Potter and introduced by Backhouse Nurseries (York) Ltd. in 1911 (as E. carnea ‘Mrs Samuel Doncaster’).

Named after Emma Gertrude (nee Barber) (1853-1937), wife of Mr Doncaster, Quaker steel maker and friend of George Backhouse. Although the cultivar name originally was ‘Mrs Samuel Doncaster’, McClintock (1969) recommended using ‘Mrs Sam Doncaster’. This latter spelling is in common use, and is being proposed for conservation under the ICNCP (1995, Art. 14). The proosal was accepted by the ICNCP in November 2003.

Heliotrope (H12) flowers darkening through magenta (H14) to crimson (H13), I–V; dark green foliage; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm. Raised from seed at Myretoun (Menstrie, Clackmannonshire, Scotland) by A. Porteous.

Purple (H10) flowers, I–IV; dark green foliage; neat, compact, upright habit; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm. Selected from seedlings of ‘Myretoun Ruby‘ by Kurt Kramer (Edewecht, Germany): deepest and brightest cultivar of the winter heath.

Magenta (H14) flowers with lilac-pink (H11) sepals, II–IV, abundant; dark green foliage with light green shoot-tips in spring; compact; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm.

A sport from ‘Vivellii‘; found by R. Zaal (Hazerswoude, Netherlands) in 1977; introduced by P. Bakhuyzen & Zonen (Boskoop, Netherlands) in 1985

Shell-pink (H16) flowers which darken, XII–V, small; dull green foliage; height 10–15cm; spread 26–30cm.

Listed by T. & J. Backhouse (York) by 1821.

Named from pallidus = pale. Originally published as var. pallida. It is unlikely that Backhouse’s original clone is the same as the present one.

Pink (H8) flowers darkening to deep heliotrope (H12), II–III; fresh-green foliage; open spreading habit; height 10–15cm; spread 46–60cm.