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Erica erigena
Also called Tall Spring Heath
Irish heath is a compact evergreen shrub, up to about 75 cm, with honey-scented deep pink winter and spring flowers. It needs an open, sunny spot and well-drained, acid soil.
Erica erigena, the Irish heath, is a European species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae.
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:
Erica erigena 'Irish Dusk'
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. It prefers cliffs and heathland.
Tree Heath · Spanish Heath · Hairy grey heather · Winter heath · Fire heath · Scotch heath · Darley Dale Heath · Hairyflower Heath · Portuguese Heath · Erica mackaiana · Nine-pin heath · Erica multiflora
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Erica erigena by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
