Erica cabernetea is a plant species endemic to a small region in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
E. cabernetea is a small, highly branched shrub up to 15cm (06inches) tall. Leaves are up to 4mm long, crescent-shaped in cross section. Flowers are borne in small racemes at the tips of each of the branches. Flowers are rounded, deep red, about 4 mm across. Fruit is a dry, egg-shaped capsule about 3 mm long.[1] [2]
The specific epithet "cabernetea" refers to Cabernet Sauvignon, a red wine with approximately the same color as the flowers of E. cabernetea.
It is known only from the Elgin Basin in the Caledon District, Arieskraal, slopes above the Klein Palmiet River at an elevation of approximately 250m (820feet), about 60km (40miles) southeast of Cape Town. This site lies within the Kogelberg Nature Reserve.