Daboecia cantabrica Globosa Pink - Irish Heath

Daboecia cantabrica 'Globosa Pink' distinguishes itself from the wild Saint-Daboec Heather by its pretty flowers of a bright lilac-pink, carried in elevated clusters that stand out well from the foliage. It is an evergreen undershrub with a low, spreading, flexible habit and dense shiny dark green foliage that forms an elegant carpet, embellishing the large open spaces of the garden throughout the year. Its flowering lasts from the beginning of summer to the beginning of autumn. Less hardy than other heathers, but resistant to sea spray, it is perfect for filling rock crevices or creating flower borders in coastal gardens, in non-calcareous soil.

Daboecia cantabrica, from the Ericaceae family, is native to Western Europe, specifically Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and the Azores Islands. This undershrub grows spontaneously on the edge of woodlands and heathlands, on acidic, sandy, or peaty, poor soils that do not dry out. An undemanding plant, it is capable of withstanding temperatures around -7 to -12°C (19.4 to 10.4°F). 

'Globosa Pink' is a horticultural cultivar. It has a spreading habit, carried by prostrate branches, which partially straighten up. The banches are hairy and glandulous at the top. At maturity, the plant will measure an average of 40cm (16in) in all directions. Its small ovate-elliptical leaves, 1 cm (0.4 in) long and 4 to 5mm (0.2in) wide, are evergreen, simple, leathery, and arranged alternately on the branches. Dark green and shiny on the upper side, they are silvery, hairy, and curl at the edges on the underside. The long-lasting flowering begins in June and lasts until September-October. Gathered in loose terminal clusters of 3 to 8 units, the flowers are charming pendulous bells measuring 8 mm (0.3in) long and 3 to 4 m (0.2 in) in diameter. Their colour is a pretty pink tending towards mauve. This nectar-producing flowering attracts and feeds numerous pollinating insects.

Thriving in very poor and very acidic soils, it is an ideal small bush for landscaping coastal gardens in a humid climate. It can be planted with other varieties with white and red flowers, planted en masse to vegetate a rockery, or a sandy slope where few plants accept to grow. It can be planted with Armeria maritima 'Splendens', Azorella, other heathers like Calluna, or even Asteriscus maritimus. It can also be grown in a pot on a terrace or balcony for its slightly wild appearance and long pink flowering: choose a large enough container and keep the (exclusively acidic) substrate always moist.