Heather and Erica: differences and similarities

Many gardeners strive to grow an unpretentious ornamental plant on their personal plot. Heather and Erica are very similar in appearance, but with certain varietal characteristics. Shrubs that complement each other can truly decorate the garden all year round.

The appearance of heather and erica are very similar, and it is often difficult for a non-professional to understand what kind of culture is presented in front of him, since erika is a kind of the same kind of heather. However, despite the similarities, they are still two different plants. The essential difference between them is the flowering period. Heather blooms in the fall, and Erica in the spring, and she lays the buds in the fall, and in the budding phase she leaves for the winter.

Cultures also differ in appearance. Heather is an evergreen bush with strong branching, reaching a height of 20 to 100 cm. The form can be creeping or erect. The stems of erect shrubs are arranged in a step-tiled order, a wide crown is created by the leaves.

The leaves of the heather resemble the needles of a triangular shape, since they do not have a petiole. The leaves are very small, no more than 2.5 mm in length and 2 mm in width. The plant is valued by gardeners for its high decorative effect, especially during the frost period, when the bushes are painted in bright burgundy or yellow tones. The culture is able to grow in one place and bloom intensively every year for 45 years.

As noted, heather begins to bloom in September, but maybe at the end of August, with small flowers of lavender, lilac-pink, in rare cases, white.

Erica is also an evergreen shrub, reaching a height of 20-200 cm., with long narrow leaves of a dark green color up to 1 cm, needle-shaped, reminiscent of needles, located on the shoots at right angles. In turn, in heather, they are scaly with pubescence.

The flowering period is in April. Bushes at this time are covered with a huge number of small bell-shaped flowers of various shades: white, milky, pink, burgundy, blue, purple. Inflorescences can be located either at the tops of the shoots, forming tassels, or hide in the axils of the leaves along the entire length of the stem. It is noteworthy that after the end of flowering, the inflorescences do not lose their color, retaining their decorative effect for a long time.

It would seem that the answer is obvious - both plants. Crops are similar to each other in terms of growing conditions. Bushes can be planted next to each other, they complement each other well, especially if we take into account the different flowering periods.

But, if you have to choose, then it is better to give preference to heather, it is more unpretentious and takes root very quickly. The same cannot be said about Eric. Even despite the observance of all agrotechnical conditions, all of them can turn into failure. This is often due to the fact that the plant is purchased in the supermarket, and most often low-hardy varieties of Erica are found.

Therefore, in order not to find yourself in such a position, it is preferable to buy high-quality garden crops adapted for growing in a particular climatic zone in a nursery.

In terms of varieties, the most winter-hardy (zone 4) heathers are: Athena, Radnor, Silver Knight, Dark Beauty and Fritz Kircher. Many varieties of the culture have unusual color scales, they can be golden or reddish, which is not a sign of the disease.

If you choose Erica, you can most often find a variety of European origin - Darlensky, which has a low winter hardiness. The species is able to withstand temperatures not lower than -23 degrees, which, when grown in the middle lane, can lead to the death of the plant.

The most suitable variety for growing over a large territory of the country is Erica ruddy (grass). This variety is able to withstand frosts from -28 to -34 degrees with great success, with little or no cover. Such levels of winter hardiness include such varieties of Erica: four-dimensional or cruciform, gray or gray, as well as Golden Scarlet, Winter Beauty, Viveli and Ann Sparkes.

But, when choosing heather or Erica for planting, you should take into account an important feature similar to conifers, Is the difficulty in choosing planting material. Heathers for a long time may not shed leaves and flowers after death. Therefore, crops must be carefully checked before purchasing. The shoots should be flexible, and the scales should be firmly attached to the stems.

Planting heather is carried out before flowering, that is, at the beginning of summer. During this time, the bush will have time to successfully root. If an autumn planting is planned, then the culture is chosen in pots, and only winter-hardy varieties.

Both plants prefer acidic soils. If the acidity level is insufficient, then it is created at the expense of sour peat, adding coniferous litter. The soil should be loose, breathable. The plant categorically does not tolerate stagnant water. The place for landing is chosen the most sunny or slightly shaded, on a small hill.

A planting hole is prepared more than a root system or an earthen ball. Adhere to the distance between the bushes of 30-40 cm when planting in groups, or 1 sq. m planted 6-8 copies. The root collar cannot be buried; it is left at ground level.

Taking care of bushes in the open field is uncomplicated. Watering is timely, there is no need to waterlogging the site. Irrigation is preferably carried out with soft rainwater or using settled tap water. Seedlings are watered more often than adult plants. The soil is constantly kept moist. In the summer, when a dry period sets in, the plant responds positively to daily spraying.

Since heather and erica have shallow roots, it is difficult for them to extract moisture from the soil. Therefore, mulching is a mandatory procedure. It not only retains moisture in the soil, but also serves as an additional source of power. Fallen needles are used as mulch.

Pruning of heather is carried out in the spring, the shoots are shortened by 1/3, for Erica, after flowering, by ¼. Young seedlings are not pruned for the first few years, and the stems are greatly shortened for adult plants, while maintaining the shape of the crown.

If the variety is selected correctly, then there is no need to additionally cover the bushes. The only exceptions are young specimens, which should be additionally protected against the coming frosts.