Erica erigena, the Irish heath, is a European species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae.
It is a compact evergreen shrub growing to 75cm (30inches), with somewhat brittle foliage and deep pink honey-scented flowers in winter and spring.[1] [2] The leaves are 4-whorled, measuring NaNmm in length and turning dark green at maturity.[3]
It is native to Ireland, southwestern France, Spain, Portugal and Tangier. Its appearance in the far west of Ireland, separated from the main Mediterranean populations, suggests a garden escape.[4] It prefers cliffs and heathland.
In cultivation, it is often seen as groundcover amongst dwarf conifers. Like others of its kind, it is a calcifuge, preferring an open sunny site with well-drained acid soil. Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:[5]