Erica erigena (Irish heath) is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to cliffs and heathland in Ireland, southwestern France, Spain, Portugal and Tangier. It is a compact, evergreen shrub growing to 75 cm (30 in), with somewhat brittle foliage and deep pink honey-scented flowers in winter and spring.^[1][2] Its appearance in the far west of Ireland, separated from the main Mediterranean populations, suggests a garden escape.^[3]

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:-

• E. erigena 'Irish Dusk'^[4]
• E. erigena f. alba 'W.T. Rackliff'^[5] (white-flowered)
• E. erigena f. aureifolia 'Golden Lady'^[6] (golden leaved)

References