The name Erica traces back to the Greek ereiken, meaning "to break," and Winter Heath lives up to the etymology by flowering in late winter and early spring when almost nothing else will. Native to the mountain slopes of central and southern Europe, this low evergreen ground cover forms a tight, wiry mat no more than a foot tall, its needle-like leaves densely packed in whorls. The small, urn-shaped pink flowers are understated individually but massed together they create a wash of color that carries real weight in a cold-season garden.

It asks for one thing above all else: sharp drainage. Sandy, acidic soil is ideal, and raised beds are worth considering where clay dominates. It will tolerate mildly alkaline conditions, though not without some loss of vigor. Prune lightly right after flowering, trimming back to the base of the flowering spikes and cutting the leafy stems by about half to keep the plant dense and prevent it from going leggy. Heather is notoriously reluctant to regenerate from old wood, so the key is to prune consistently and never let it get ahead of you.