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Whorled heath

Erica verticillata

Whorled heath
Photo: Andrew Massyn, Public domain
Family
Ericaceae (Heather family)
Grows as
Shrub
Water
Likes moisture
Native range
SW. Cape Prov. (Cape Flats)
Climate
subtropical

About

Erica verticillata is a species of Erica that was naturally restricted to the city of Cape Town but is now classified as extinct in the wild.

How to grow it

E. verticillata comes in three forms: the Kirstenbosch form, the Pretoria form and the Kew form. It prefers seasonally moist sandy soils, but will grow well in average garden conditions provided the soils are acidic. The best time to plant is in autumn or during the winter although they may be planted at other times of the year if regularly watered. It is important to never disturb its roots when weeding. Plants should be well watered after planting and then every two to three days unless good rainfalls occur.

Where it grows

It formerly grew only in certain areas of the Cape Flats on the Cape Peninsula of South Africa.

Other Erica plants

Erica abbottii · Honeysuckle heath · Summer heath · Erica albens · Erica alfredii · Cold Heath · Foxtail Erica · Erica amicorum · Erica amoena · Erica ampullacea · Erica andevalensis · Eyelash Heath

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Erica verticillata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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