Ericaceae

Ericaceae- the Heather Family

The heather familly is well-represented around the globe. Again, my fondness for this family may come from my childhood in the woods of NE Washington state, where the family makes up a good portion of the understory plants.

Cassiope

These mountain heathers are just cuter than hell!
I grow:
C. mertensiana
C. x 'Sir George Taylor'
C. 'Muirhead'
C. 'Badenoch'
C. lycopodiodes
C. selagenelloides

Rhodothamnus- the closest living relative of the Kalmiopsis- native to the mountains of Western and Central Europe. To die for!

R. chamaecistus

Kalmiopsis- I was introduced to this genus by working at Leach Botanical Garden in Portland Oregon. Lilla Leach is creditted with discovering this plant for western botany. It is now split into two species- I grow both.

K. leachiana
K. fragrans (although I don't think it is all that fragrant, personally)

Rhododendron

Northwest gardens are filled with gawdy hybrids of this genus. A visit to the Rhododendron Species Foundation is a good way to appreciate the more sophisticated members of the genus...

I grow:
R. celebicum (it lives with my pitcher plants from Sulawesi- its homeland)
R. 'Yaku Fairy' - a little cutie
R. subarcticum
R. x columbianum

Gautheria

I think of these shrubs as being close relatives of Vaccinium. I don't know if this is truly the case- and I currently lack the volition to look it up.

G. itoana (truly a gem- native to Japan)
G. griffithii
G. pseudonotabilis
G. humifusa
G. hispidula

Vaccinium- the blueberries
V. floribundum from Ecuador
V. membranaceum/ V. globulare- seed from N. ID
(who the hell can tell the difference between those species anyhow?)
V. glauco-album
V. occidentalis
V. myrtyllus
V. myrtylloides
V. vitis-idea v. minus
V. sp from Borneo

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