ERIKA; GLOCKENHEIDE
Erica hybrida heard.
family: Heidekrautgewächse – Ericäceae
Name: Erica (f.) from ereikein Greek. = break (some species have wood that breaks easily); hybridus, -a, -um years. = created by crossing (refers to it, that this hybrid form arose from crosses of different species). "Bell heather" after the bell-like flowers of the heather family.
Origin of the parent species: Kapland (South Africa); Areas with arid, subtropical climate on sites with acidic soil.
Heyday: spring.
Cultivation: Exclusively through cuttings in specialist nurseries (Moorbite cultures).
Care requirements: All bell heather kept as indoor potted plants – so also the Erika hybrids – should be sunny, stand airy and as cool as possible. So keep them in rooms, that are little heated and often ventilated; the best place in warmer rooms is between the double windows. There is plenty of watering in spring and summer. Flowering plants must never be ball-dry, otherwise the flowers and needle-shaped leaves will fall off. The irrigation water must be "soft" (lime-free or at least low in lime) being; rainwater is the most suitable. During the summer, lower the pots outdoors and often spray over them when the weather remains dry. Until August you can water once a month with a mixed fertilizer solution, which, however, must not contain any lime. From the end of August, the plants are put back into the room, so that the annual shoot matures better. For the winter there is quite a bright one, cool place (with about 4 to 8 °C) suitable. It is then only watered sparingly, however, the pads should never dry out completely. In order for the flowers to unfold in the aftermath of winter, the temperatures that then rise again require more moisture.
Special: The densely branched bushes of the heather hybrids with evergreens blooming richly in light pink to salmon red tones, needle-shaped leaves deserve it, that they are kept as houseplants more often than before. While the "Zierliche Heath" blooms from September to December – Erica gräcilis Salisb. – is seldom obtainable for several years, this succeeds with the Erika hybrids, if you know, how to treat them. Incidentally, this also applies to the creamy white blooming "Kaffirland Heath" in March / April – Erica cäffra L. – and the "loosely growing heather" blooming white in April – Erica persolüta elba heard. – to, which are offered in blooming pots by the flower shops.