Erica versicolor is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to South Africa's Cape Province.

Erica versicolor
San Francisco Botanical Garden
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Erica
Species:
E. versicolor
Binomial name
Erica versicolor

In cultivation E. versicolor requires well-drained acidic soil and a sheltered situation in full sun. It cannot tolerate freezing temperatures. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[2]

Description

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Erica versicolor is an evergreen shrub growing to 3 m (9.8 ft) tall by 1 m (3.3 ft) broad, bearing tiny needle-like leaves and long tubular flowers up to 3 cm (1.2 in) in length. The flowers have a two-tone appearance, predominantly red with green or yellow tips (hence the Latin specific epithet versicolor), and bloom from October until April.[2] The leaves are trifoliate, smooth, and a deep green. The branches of the plant are nearly simple.[3]

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References

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  1. ^ "Erica versicolor". The Plant List. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b "RHS Plantfinder - Erica versicolor". Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  3. ^ Andrews, Henry Cranke (1804). The Heathery: Or, A Monograph of the Genus Erica with Latin and English Descriptions, Dissections, Etc. of All the Known Species of that Extensive and Distinguished Tribe of Plants. Richard Taylor.