Erica mammosa

Erica mammosa, commonly ninepin heath or rooiklossieheide (small red tassel heath) in Afrikaans, is an erect, usually much branched shrub, growing to heights around 1,8 m. The stems are covered in soft, minute hairs (puberulous) and whorls of four to six needle-like and hairless leaves.

This is one of the Erica species presenting much flower colour variation. Dark red or orange red flowers in small inflorescences is the common form. Other forms recorded include orange, pink, purple-pink, green, cream, white or white with pink tipped flowers. E. gilva flowering creamy now forms part of this species.

The species distribution is in the Western Cape from Clanwilliam and Ceres to the Cape Peninsula, Stellenbosch and Bredasdorp. The photo was taken in the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden during October.

The habitat includes both sandy flats and higher mountain slopes in fynbos. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Manning and Helme, 2024; Manning, 2009; Baker and Oliver, 1967; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).