Erica carnea f. alba Schneekuppe - Winter Heath

Erica carnea f. alba 'Schneekuppe' is a selection of Alpine Heather or Snow Heather that is characterized by particularly compact vegetation, a generous pure white flowering, and very bright cream-coloured young shoots. Covered with flowers throughout winter until the beginning of spring, this small, neatly shaped plant is decorative all year round, even when not in bloom. This heather is easy to grow, withstands heavy frost and tolerates slightly chalky soils. Ideal for rock gardens, in planters, or as ground cover between shrubs.

Erica carnea 'Schneekuppe' was selected in Germany by Kurt Kramer and is the result of cross-breeding between the varieties 'Snowqueen' and 'Springwood White'. Like all heathers, this variety belongs to the Ericaceae family. It is one of many descendants of the Erica carnea native to the limestone Alps. The 'Schneekuppe' heather is a small, compact, round and flat undershrub which does not exceed 15 cm (6in) high and 30 cm (12in) wide. Its growth is slow, and it lives around fifteen years. In winter until spring, from January to March-April, it produces lots of small pure white urn-shaped flowers in clusters 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4in) long at the ends of the leafy stems. The flowering is nectar-rich and provides a valuable source of pollen and nectar for bumblebees, hoverflies, and other bees in early spring. The foliage is evergreen and consists of very narrow and upright small, vibrant green leaves. The young spring shoots are very light in colour.

Erica carnea 'Schneekuppe' is a gem for rock gardens. It can also be planted en masse, as ground cover at the base of deciduous or evergreen shrubs in the light shade that it likes. This mountain heather naturally blends with other alpine perennials. Among the Bergenias and Sedums, there are precious and non-invasive varieties that will go well with alpine heathers. For example, Bergenia 'Dragonfly Angel Kiss' and Sedum 'Dragon Blood'. You can create a heather garden with a mosaic of colours, in flowerbeds, and pots.

While heathers are often associated with the wet Atlantic heathlands of Brittany, Ireland, or Scotland, some heathers thrive in dry climates and on limestone soils like the Mediterranean. However, one of the richest areas for heather is in South Africa. In the Cape region, there is a plant formation on acidic soil called Fynbos, which includes nearly 625 heather species out of the 740 that are listed worldwide.