Heathers

‘Plena’

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Magenta (H14) flowers, VII–X, double and packed with extra “petals” to the point of bursting; dark green foliage; neat habit; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm. Suitable for ground-cover.

Wild-collected; found in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, on more than one occasion during the last 130 years; the clone in cultivation was gathered in 1901 by Dr F. C. Crawford, but there is an earlier record (by A. G. More in 1869).

Named from plenus = full (i.e. double-flowered). The earliest names for this clone were ‘Crawfordii’, followed by ‘Flore Pleno’, but it may be argued that neither was validly published.

‘William McCalla’

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Lilac-pink (H11) flowers, VII–IX; dark green foliage; spreading habit; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm. This is fairly typical of the plants of Mackay’s heath seen in Connemara, and it is named after the schoolmaster who first drew the attention of botanists to this species in the 1830s. However, there is no evidence it has any direct connection with him. Often listed as ‘William M’Calla’.

‘Donegal’

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Large magenta (H14) flowers, VI–IX; mid-green foliage; spreading habit; height 26–30cm; spread 31–45cm.

Wild-collected; collected at Lough Nacung, County Donegal, Ireland, by David McClintock (Platt, Kent, England) in 1969; introduced by B. & V. Proudley (St Briavels, Gloucestershire).

Named after the county in north-western Ireland, where the clone was collected.

‘Errigal Dusk’

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Amethyst (H1) flowers, barrel-shaped, VIII–IX; dark green foliage; strong, upright habit; height 31–45cm; spread 46–60cm.

Wild-collected; found at Lough Nacung, County Donegal, Ireland, by Dr E. C. Nelson (National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland) in 1978.

Named from Errigal, the mountain at the foot of which Lough Nacung is situated; dusk was chosen because of the dusky purple colour of the corolla.

‘Galicia’

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Deep magenta flowers, VII–X, free-flowering; dark green foliage; height 26–30cm; spread 46–60cm. Collected in Galicia, Spain, by David McClintock, Dr Charles Nelson and David Small in 1982.

‘Lawsoniana’

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Pale pink (H8) flowers, VII–IX, corolla often with more than 4 lobes, and style short and malformed; green foliage, paler than other cultivars; height 10–15cm; spread 21–25cm.

Wild-collected; found in Ireland, probably in Connemara, County Galway, but its history is not known in detail; introduced by Lawson & Sons (Edinburgh, Scotland) about 1875.

Of obscure origins and certainly not the plant which was originally given the name Erica tetralix subsp. lawsoniana (see Yearbook of The Heather Society 2000: 77–80).

Named after the nurserymen (see also Erica mackaiana ‘Lawsoniana’); at the time Charles Lawson was the owner (he is also commemorated in the Lawson cypress).

‘Dr. Ronald Gray’

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White flowers, VII–X, sparse; mid-green foliage; broad spreading habit; height 10–15cm; spread 31–45cm.

A sport from ‘Lawsoniana‘ found by Dr Ronald Gray (Hindhead, Surrey) in 1964; introduced by Maxwell & Beale (Broadstone, Dorset) in 1966.

Named after the finder, Dr Ronald Gray, a general practitioner and Vice-president of The Heather Society, who died on 22 March 1966 (Yearbook of The Heather Society 1966: 2-3).

‘George Hunt’ (f. aureifolia)

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White flowers, III–IV; yellow foliage throughout the year; height 61–75cm; spread 31–45cm. Outstanding plant for sheltered but open sites, but it i tender and should not be planted where temperatures can drop to –10°C. Found by George Hunt who gave all of his stock away in aid of the National Cancer Research Campaign.

‘Le Vasterival’

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White flowers with pink buds, III–V, in long plumes; dark green foliage; erect. From the garden of the Princess Sturdza, called Le Vasterival (Normandy, France), introduced by Minier’s Nursery). This was wrongly identified initially as Erica x veitchii (see Heathers 7: 71. 2010), and is marketed under the trade designation GREAT STAR