Erica cinerea Pink Ice (Bell Heather)
With masses of large, pale rose-pink flowers over a long blooming season, award-winning Erica cinerea ‘Pink Ice’ is a real standout!
With masses of large, pale rose-pink flowers over a long blooming season, award-winning Erica cinerea 'Pink Ice' is a real standout! This dwarf, low-growing, evergreen shrub creates a colorful mat of dark green foliage that gets profusely covered with clear pink, bell-shaped flowers in racemes from early summer to late fall (Jul-Nov).
- Grows up to 6 in. tall (15 cm) and 14 in. wide (35 cm).
- Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society for its outstanding qualities
- Performs best in full sun in sandy, acidic, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Do not let soils dry out! Provide a site sheltered from strong winds which could desiccate their foliage. Drought tolerant once established.
- Easy to grow, this plant is a welcomed addition to rock gardens, slopes, coastal gardens, cottage gardens, or containers. Excellent ground cover and perfect for edging!
- Generally pest free. May be affected by Phytophthora root diseases
- Need annual pruning, or they become straggly. Prune below the flowers on the stems after flowering in fall or early spring.
- Erica cinerea, also known as Bell Heather or Twisted Heath, are attractive and spectacular in bloom. These evergreen shrubs form mounding, spreading, low bushes, 6-18 in tall (15-45 cm), bursting into vivid colors as they get covered with hundreds of bell-shaped flowers. They enjoy a very long blooming season extending from late spring to early fall and bear the most eye-catching flowers of all heathers. Colors range from white to almost black while their foliage varies from gold to very dark green. Native to Western Europe, southwestern Norway, southern Portugal, and northwestern Italy. Similarly to Callunas, they need annual pruning, or they become straggly. Prune below the flowers on the stems after flowering in fall or early spring. Hardy to Zone 5 and warmer.
Requirements
Hardiness | 6 – 8 |
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Heat Zones | 6 – 8 |
Climate Zones | 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17 |
Plant Type | Shrubs |
Plant Family | Erica and Calluna |
Exposure | Full Sun |
Season of Interest | Summer (Early,Mid,Late)Fall |
Height | 5" – 6" (12cm – 15cm) |
Spread | 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm) |
Spacing | 15″ – 18″ (37cm – 45cm) |
Water Needs | Average |
Maintenance | Low |
Soil Type | Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Plant of Merit, Showy, Evergreen |
Tolerance | Deer, Drought |
Attracts | Butterflies, Hummingbirds |
Garden Uses | Banks and Slopes, Beds and Borders, Ground Covers, Patio and Containers |
Garden Styles | Coastal Garden, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage |