Heliotrope flowers, VI–VII; dark grey-green foliage; height 10–15cm; spread 26-30cm. Attractive plant.
Erica spiculifolia : Balkan heath, Bruckenthalia
synonym: Bruckenthalia spiculifolia
Low shrublet, about 0.2m tall, stems prostrate and ascending; leaves in irregular whorls of (2–)4–6, or spirally arranged, to 6mm long (leaves in inflorescence usually longer); 8–40 flowers in terminal raceme, or flowers solitary in leaf axils; calyx cup-shaped, pink, creamy-pink or white, usually tightly clasping the corolla, to 1.5mm long, with 4 triangular lobes; corolla bright pink to red–pink, very rarely white, campanulate, tiny, to 3mm long, 4-lobed; stamens 8, included; anthers without spurs; style emergent; no nectary present.
Blooms between late spring and early summer, but may continue into autumn in the wild.
The Balkan heath is found in south-eastern Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia (FYR), Albania, Greece) and northern Turkey. It inhabits acid, sub-alpine regions to 2800m altitude and is suitable for zone 6. A dwarf plant, Bruckenthalia (its former generic name) is highly recommended for the small heather garden as it flowers between the winter-flowering and early summer-flowering heathers. It requires a lime-free soil and thrives best in full sun.
Bruckenthalia does not look like the majority of the hardy heaths because of it small flowers in a very distinct stalked raceme. It has proved to be amenable to hybridization.
‘Branka’
Spectacular red (cerise H6) buds, opening to paler cerise flowers, arranged in an erect spike; VI-VII; foliage dark green; height 25cm; spread 25cm after 3 years.
‘Branka’ is a deliberately raised selection from the heather formerly called Bruckenthalia spiculifolia, a native of eastern Europe. This clone was raised by Kurt Kramer (Edewecht, Garmany) and propagated by Heidekulturen Marohn & Häger. Erica spiculifolia is hardy but is not widely grown and deserves to be better known.
Branka is a Slavonic girl’s name.
® E.2010:01 registered on 27 March 2010 by K. Kramer, Edewecht, Germany.
‘Graf Dracula’
Flowers cerise (H6), small; VI-VII; height 20cm; spread 20cm after 3 years.
Seedling “reinrosa K1”, raised by Kurt Kramer about 2004.
Named by Heidegärtnerei Ines Grünberg, Auerstr. 215, D-01640 Coswig.
® E.2009:02 registered on 11 March 2009 by Kurt Kramer, Edewecht, Germany.
‘Manja’
Flowers corolla and sepals cerise (H6); VI-VII; foliage dark green; height 20cm; spread 20cm tall after 3 years.
Cross-bred seedling raised by Kramer about 2006; propagated by Heidekulturen Marohn & Häger.
Manja is a Slavonic girl’s name.
® E.2010:02 registered on 27 March 2010 by Kurt Kramer, Edewecht, Germany.
‘Mila’
Flowers corolla and sepals lavender (H3); VI-VII; foliage dark green; height 25cm; spread 25cm after 3 years.
Cross-bred seedling raised by Kramer about 2006; propagated by Heidekulturen Marohn & Häger.
Mila is a Slavonic girl’s name.
® E.2010:03 registered on 27 March 2010 by Kurt Kramer, Edewecht, Germany.
‘Raika’
Flowers corolla and sepals white; VI-VII; foliage bright green; height 25cm; spread 25cm after 3 years.
Cross-bred seedling raised by Kramer about 2006; propagated by Heidekulturen Marohn & Häger.
Raika is a Slavonic girl’s name.
® E.2010:04 registered on 27 March 2010 by Kurt Kramer, Edewecht, Germany.