Heathers

‘New Horizon’

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Relatively large, scented white flowers; the red-tinged ovary is densely hirsute, as are the spurs of the anthers which yield pollen; IV-V; The young shoots are discoloured, appearing bright yellow-green.

On 20 March 2011, Kurt Kramer pollinated a putative tetraploid clone of Erica × veitchii with pollen from several different (both white- and lilac-flowered) putative tetraploid clones of Erica australis. About 50 seedlings were raised and after growing on for several years, the 15 best clones were retained for further trial. These were grown outside in Kramer’s nursery at Edewecht, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), in northwestern Germany. In 2017, 13 of the clones were still growing, having survived temperatures as low as -13°C (January 2016). Only clone 8 was selected for further propagation, distribution and naming by Kurt Kramer.

Named ‘New Horizon’ because Kurt Kramer sees this clone and his breeding work as the foundation of new breeding efforts in Erica combining three different species

® E.2017:01 registered on 20 June 2017 by Kurt Kramer, Edewecht, Germany.

‘Polly’

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Lavender flowers, VIII–IX; yellow-orange foliage, tinted red and bronze becoming redder in winter; dwarf, spreading; height 16–20cm; spread 31–45cm.

Seedling found by R. J. Brien (Pitcairngreen Heather Farm, Perth, Scotland) by 1985.

Named after R. (Bob) J. Brien’s youngest grand-daughter.

‘Glockenspiel’

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Flowers rose-pink (H7) to heliotrope (H12) in terminal racemes, 20–30 per cluster; IV:VI and often also IX;XI; foliage dark green almost spirally arranged or in disarticulated whorls of 3 or 4; habit upright; height 30cm; spread 30cm.

Another (nursery code 04-59-6) of the seedlings raised by Kurt Kramer in 2004 from unnamed “pink” seedling of Erica manipuliflora deliberately pollinated by an unnamed “crimson” seedling of Erica spiculifolia.

This name is chosen as the German equivalent of carillon, a musical instrument comprising a collection of at least 23 bells.

® DME 2018–05: Registered 29 September 2018, by E C Nelson, England.

See The June 2019 RHS publication The Plantsman for more details.

‘Winifred Whitley’

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Amethyst (H1) schizopetalous flowers; VII-VIII;  dark green foliage. ‘W. G. Notley‘ is a greatly improved variety.

Wild-collected; found by Miss Winifred Whitley (Broadstone, Dorset, England) by 1933, and introduced by Maxwell & Beale (Broadstone) in 1934. It was stated then to be a hybrid between E. cinerea and E. [i.e. Calluna] vulgaris.

Named after Miss Whitley, the discoverer of this plant.

‘Rosabella’

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Salmon-pink(H15) flowers in profusion; VII-VIII; foliage dense dark green. Best regarded as a dwarf variant of ‘C. G. Best‘. 15cm tall, 40cm spread.

Possible seedling; introduced by G. M. Post (Singerskamp, Laren, Netherlands) by 1939. It is now thought to be extinct.

Derivation not known.

Note: A clone widely grown under this name has magenta (H14) flowers in profusion, June-Sept, with dark green foliage; an outstanding plant with a compact, spreading habit (see Small & Small (1998)). This clone is now named ‘Rosy Chimes‘.

‘Joseph Rock’

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Purple flowers; VII-IX; foliage dark green. Dense upright growth. 25cm tall, 60cm spread.

Listed by Barncroft Nurseries (Longsdon, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England) by 1991.

Name derivation not known, but most unlikey to be named after the American plant collector.

‘Dunwood Sport’

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Flowers rose pink (H7). Indistinguishable from ‘Next Best‘.

Sport on ‘C. G. Best‘; found at R. Warner’s Barncroft Nurseries (Longsdon, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England); introduced by Barncroft Nurseries by 1985.

Named after the lane in Longsdon, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, where Barncroft Nurseries are situated.

Because this is indistinguishable from ‘Next Best‘, the latter name has priority; see ICNCP (1995, Art. 2. 18).

‘Brick’

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Cerise (H6) flowers, June-Oct, with dark green foliage. Compact habit. 20cm tall, 40cm spread.

Seedling; found by Don Richards in his garden (Rydal Mount, Eskdale, Cumbria, England) by 1973. Introduced by G. Yates (Far Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria) in 1980.

Name, brick, refers to the flower colour.

‘Alice’

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Flowers red, large: I-IV; foliage dark green; habit bushy; 18in × 24in.

Named by David Wilson from cuttings given by Kurt Kramer