Erica arborea Alberts Gold - Tree Heath

Erica arborea 'Albert's Gold' is an arborescent heather that is prized for its finely-textured magnificent foliage, which is golden in winter and spring. From early spring, this hardy bush bears subtle clusters of white and honey-rich flowers. It is only slightly vigorous, and is a fairly cold-sensitive variety that does not like wind and sea spray. It thrives in the sun in fairly poor, non-calcareous soils, that are moist to dry in summer. With its wild charm, the arborescent heather integrates perfectly into a large rockery or a small informal hedge. 

Erica arborea 'Albert's Gold' is a horticultural selection that is less vigorous than the type. Its young foliage displays a particularly bright yellow colour. Its hardiness is evaluated at -8°C (17.6°F) at the tip for an adult subject, in a sheltered exposure. The wild species from which it originates, called tree heather or white heather, is a shrubby plant from the large Ericaceae family. Its preferred habitat consists of heathland, embankments, and forest edges. It predominantly develops on siliceous soils (rich in sand) that are nutrient-poor.

The 'Albert's Gold' tree heather shows a slow growth rate. The bush has a taller than wide habit, supported by numerous upright and branched stems. Ultimately, this variety reaches approximately 1.8m (6ft) in height with a spread of 70 to 80cm (28 to 32in). Its reddish-brown branches bear tiny non-prickly needle-like leaves throughout the year, including in winter. They are yellow in winter and spring, as well as on new shoots in summer, then become acid green with age. The flower buds form early in late autumn or winter on leafy foliage and open as pure white bells between late March and May. The bush sporadically blooms for 3 months. The small urn-shaped flowers open in clusters measuring 20 to 30cm (8 to 12in) here and there along the branches. They exude a honey fragrance and are extremely popular with bees.

This 'Albert's Gold' shrubby heather is a beautiful plant for mild climates. It forms a remarkable background in a large border. It can also be planted in a small informal hedge. It pairs perfectly with shorter heathers that bloom at the same time in various colours: Erica x darleyensis 'Kramer's Rote', western heather, Erica carnea 'December Red', for example. It will also work wonders in a small hedge with gorse, Teucrium fruticans 'Azureum', or confetti bush, for example. This heather can form, in a group of 3 to 5 subjects, an incredibly bright mass of vegetation.