Erica × griffithsii 'Elegant Spike'

RHS Plant Profile

heather 'Elegant Spike'

Synonyms

Erica vagans 'Elegant Spike'
Erica manipuliflora 'Elegant Spike'

Shrubs

Vigorous, upright, evergreen shrub to about 60cm high and 75cm wide, with tiny, needle-like, mid-green leaves. Small, fragrant, bell-shaped, pale rose-pink flowers are produced in long upright sprays, from mid summer to mid autumn

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Neutral or Alkaline

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Ericaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy, Spreading branched
Genus: Erica can be prostrate or erect, evergreen shrubs with fine, needle-like leaves in whorls, and racemes or panicles of small, bell-shaped or tubular flowers
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Best grown in neutal to acid well-drained soil in an open site with full sun but tolerant of mildy alkaline soils and a little shade. Ideal for growing in containers in lime free (ericaceous) potting compost. See Hardy heathers and erica cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in mid or late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Wildlife gardens
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 10 after flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to fungal diseases, including honey fungus (rarely), and Phytophthora root rot, in wet conditions