Erica x darleyensis ‘Margaret Porter’ (Winter Heath)

Erica x darleyensis ‘Margaret Porter’ (Winter Heath) is a vigorous, bushy shrub of neat rounded habit with a profusion of large, fluffy, lilac flowers. Blooming heavily from mid-winter to early spring (Jan-Mar), they cover the mid-green foliage which displays attractive cream tips in spring. Great at providing winter color while requiring little care, it is perfect at smothering weeds!

• Grows up to 6-8 in. tall (15-20 cm) and 12-18 in. across (30-450 cm).
• Performs best in full sun in sandy, acidic, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Part shade is welcomed in hot summer areas. Newly planted Heath can dry out quickly once planted, so it is important to water regularly and thoroughly when the plant is young.
• Easy to grow, this plant is a welcomed addition to rock gardens, groundcover, slopes, coastal gardens, cottage gardens, or containers. Plant in groups for the best visual impact.
• Produces nectar that attracts bees on mild winter days, but is ignored by deer!
• Virtually disease and pest free, but watch for powdery mildew, root rot, rust, and wilt.
• Plants may be sheared lightly after flowers fade, but not any later since flower buds are formed during the summer. Annual light shearing promotes a bushier plant.
• Erica x darleyensis includes many hybrids of Erica carnea and Erica erigena. A taller growing shrub than Erica carnea, generally between 12-24 in. tall (30-60 cm), and bushier, it is useful in adding winter color at greater heights. It is loved for its early bloom and evergreen presence and forms bristling splashes of pink, white, purple, or red blooms in the landscape which are at their best with dwarf evergreens, conifers, and mixed plantings of heathers. Most varieties display needle-like mid-green foliage with pink, cream, or red, young growth in late spring, and a bronzy foliage in the winter. Buds form in late summer or early fall, and some cultivars begin blooming as early as late September, often lasting until April