Thank you, John, for taking the time to put together such a nicely detailed response. When you ask: "Who now grows a South African heather?" You may be surprised to learn that here in the states they are commonly sold for the winter holidays. They are grown in three or four inch pots, and the plants are typically tall and narrow and about eighteen inches high with flowers in various shades of rosy pink. I suspect that most of them are dead within a week of purchase, because they are very unforgiving if you forget to water them, and American homes are by European standards typically very dry and hot during the winter. For many people, this may not be an issue because they dry/die nicely: the dead plant keeps its flower shape and color fairly well, although the falling needle-like foliage makes a mess. Jim McKenney