Spanish heath

Description

Erica australis, the Spanish heath or Spanish tree heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to the western Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Western Spain) and Northwest Africa (in Morocco). It is a bushy evergreen shrub growing to 2 m (6.6 ft) tall and broad, with tiny needle-like leaves and pink to purple bell-shaped flowers in late Spring. As a calcifuge, it requires sharply drained acidic soil in full sun. It is hardy down to −10 °C (14 °F). The Latin specific epithet australis means “southern” - in this case, southern Europe (and northwestern Morocco). This plant is cultivated as an ornamental, and has produced numerous forms and cultivars. gaining the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit for E. australis ‘Mr Robert'.