‘Springwood White’

Abundant white flowers; XII–V; foliage bright green; vigorous, trailing habit; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm.

For decades this was the outstanding white-flowered Erica carnea but is superseded by some of the deliberately raised cultivars. Still ideal for hanging baskets.

Wild-collected; found on Monte Correggio, northern Italy, by Mrs Anna Walker (1866–1948) (Springwood, Stirling, Scotland; her gardener who propagated the plant was Robert Howieson Syme (1873–1946)) before 1925; named by F. J. Chittenden (Director, Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Wisley) in 1925. Mrs Walker’s account of the discovery is in My garden 2: 105-106 (May 1934); on Syme see My garden 32: 625, 627 (June 1946).

see Heathers 4: 34–35. 2007.

Originally named ‘Springwood’, after Mrs Walker’s house in Stirling, Scotland; white was added when the plant received an AM in 1930.