General description
An almost sperical variety covered in white flowers in late fall through mid winter over deep green foliage; ideal for poor soils, also great for massing in the garden; requires organic highly acidic soil, full sun and absolutely no standing water.
W.T. Rackliff Heath is covered in stunning spikes of white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from late fall right through to . It has dark green foliage. The tiny needles remain dark green through the winter. The fruit is not ornamentally significant
- Blooms November-February.
- Size: 18" high x 18" wide
- Hardy to zone 8.
Plant requirements
W.T. Rackliff Heath will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.
This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the leaves in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder zones.
This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Maintenance
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Practical use
W.T. Rackliff Heath is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.
Recommended for the following landscape applications:
- Groundcover
- General Garden Use
- Mass Planting
- Naturalization