Snow heather

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Snow heather
Snow heather (Erica carnea) in the snow

Snow heather ( Erica carnea ) in the snow

Systematics
Nuclear eudicotyledons
Asterids
Order : Heather-like (Ericales)
Family : Heather family (Ericaceae)
Genre : Heather ( Erica )
Type : Snow heather
Scientific name
Erica carnea
L.

The snow heather ( Erica carnea ), also called winter heather or spring heather , is a species of heather ( Erica ) within the heather family (Ericaceae). It thrives in the mountains of Western, Central and Southeastern Europe and occurs in Morocco. Many varieties are used as ornamental plants .

description

Illustration (left Erica carnea , right Calluna vulgaris )
Flowers in detail

Vegetative characteristics

The snow heather forms low, prostrate and richly branched dwarf shrubs with thin, arching, ascending branches that reach heights of up to 30 centimeters. The evergreen leaves are needle-shaped.

Generative characteristics

In a multi-flowered, one-sided, racemose inflorescence there are nodding flowers. The hermaphroditic flowers have a double flower envelope. The three reddish colored sepals are dry skinned and about 3 to 5 mm long. There is no outer chalice . The white, light pink, rose to reddish crown has a length of about 5 to 7 mm and is narrow-bell-shaped. The eight dark stamens protrude from the corolla .

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 24.

Similar species

The snow heather is easy to confuse with other species. By the heather ( Calluna vulgaris ) it differs by the needle-shaped leaves, each sitting fourth whorls in the woody stems, and have a bright, cartilaginous rolled-over edge. It differs from the similarly similar gray heather ( Erica cinerea ) in terms of flowering time, because the gray heather bears its inflorescences from June to August.

Ecology and phenology

The snow heather forms extensive stands in its home. It is a dwarf shrub with evergreen, needle-shaped leaves as an adaptation to low-salt locations; there is therefore a peinomorphosis . The snow heather lives in symbiosis with a root fungus of the "Ericaceous mycorrhiza" type. For this reason, it must be used in the garden together with the potting soil so that the fungus, which is vital for the snow heather, is preserved.

The snow heather is a snow and early bloomer. The flowering period extends from January to April. The flower buds are already formed in autumn of the previous year. The flowers are "bluebells with scattering device". The pollination is done by butterflies , bees , etc. Due to the early flowering time is the Schneeheide an important bee pasture . Self-pollination is probably also possible through the wingless males of the bladder foot ( Taeniothrips ericae ).

When it is dry, the fruit wall of the capsule fruits , which are hidden in the corolla, splits open , they act as wind spreaders. The very small, numerous seeds spread out as granular fliers.

The snow heather is also considered a forage plant for the caterpillars of the heather owl and the heather moth .

The variety 'Flavor Alba' ( Erica carnea var. Alba )
The James Backhouse variety
The 'Altadena' variety

Occurrence

It thrives in the mountains of Western , Central and Southeastern Europe and occurs in Morocco . The snow heather is mainly found in the Alps, but also in the Alpine foothills .

It thrives from the valley to altitudes of 2700 meters. In the Allgäu Alps, the snow heather rises to an altitude of 2423 meters on the Hochrappenkopf in Bavaria.

Unlike most other heather species , it is mostly found on limestone soils and particularly frequently on dolomite rock . They are mainly found in mountain pine stands , in dry Scots pine , larch and black pine forests (for example, it gives its name to the snow heather pine forest , Erico-Pinetum ) as well as small areas in its own dwarf shrub heaths dominated by it in the area of ​​the tree line. It still extends into the lowest areas of the calcareous blue grass Horstseggenrasen .

Taxonomy

The first publication of Erica carnea was in 1753 by Carl von Linné . The name Erica carnea L. nom. cons. was compared to Erica herbacea L. nom. rej. preserved. Another synonym for Erica carnea L. nom. cons. is Erica mediterranea L.

Use as an ornamental plant

As an ornamental plant in parks and gardens, it is an ideal ground cover in sunny to partially shaded locations, which bears abundant flowers at an otherwise very low-flower period. The snow heather unfolds its full effect when it is planted in larger contiguous areas. As an ornamental plant, it has been used in the garden since the early 19th century. The different varieties, whose flower colors range from white to purple, were mainly bred in England. Varieties with conspicuous foliage colors were selected.

Common names

The other German-language trivial names exist or existed for the Schneeheide : Bröl ( Graubünden in the Lower Engadine ), Brüsch ( St. Gallen near Sargans ), Brui (Graubünden near Oberhalbstein ), Bruuch (Graubünden), Rote Grampen ( Tyrol ), Haadach ( Carinthia , Tyrol), Riblehard ( Allgäu ), Sendach (Carinthia) and Senden (Tyrol).

literature

  • Heinz-Dieter Krausch : Imperial crown and peonies red. Hamburg 2003.
  • Xaver Finkenzeller, Jürke Grau: Alpine flowers. Recognize and determine (=  Steinbach's natural guide ). Mosaik, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-576-11482-3 .
  • Manfred A. Fischer, Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald: Excursion flora for Austria, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol . 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. State of Upper Austria, Biology Center of the Upper Austrian State Museums, Linz 2005, ISBN 3-85474-140-5 .
  • Ruprecht Düll , Herfried Kutzelnigg : Pocket dictionary of plants in Germany and neighboring countries. The most common Central European species in portrait . 7th, corrected and enlarged edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2011, ISBN 978-3-494-01424-1 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Erica carnea in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  2. ^ Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . With the collaboration of Angelika Schwabe and Theo Müller. 8th, heavily revised and expanded edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , pp.  734 .
  3. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 2, IHW, Eching 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 .
  4. ^ Georg August Pritzel , Carl Jessen : The German folk names of plants. New contribution to the German linguistic treasure. Philipp Cohen, Hannover 1882, page 142. ( online ).

Web links

Commons : Schneeheide ( Erica carnea )  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files