Erica erigena

Erica erigena
E. erigena in flower with gorse (Ulex), Lough Carrowmore, western Ireland
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Erica
L.
Species: E. erigena

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:

References

  1. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
  2. ↑ "Great plant picks - Erica erigena". Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  3. ↑ Doyle, Gerard J. "The history of Erica erigena R. Ross, an Irish plant with a disjunct European distribution". Journal of Quaternary Science. Wiley online library. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica erigena 'Irish Dusk'". Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  5. ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica erigena f. alba 'W.T. Rackliff'". Retrieved 19 June 2013.