ERICAS are small, twiggy, evergreen, sun-loving, mostly lime-hating flowering shrubs. The short, needle-like leaves are usually dark green, though some varieties have leaves in other colours, and are carried on neat and bushy plants. The flowers are like tiny bells clustered towards the tops of the stems. The chocolate coloured, pollen-bearing anthers often peep out from inside the flowers creating a pretty two-tone effect.
There are more than 800 different species of ericas, growing wild in Europe, Asia and Africa. Although only a small proportion are grown in gardens, many of the most popular varieties also bring the benefit of coloured foliage that adds to the display. Most of the familiar varieties are very cold hardy.
Ericas grow wild in well-drained, often sandy, soils and
