Daboecia scotica William Buchanan - Irish Heath

Daboecia x scotica 'William Buchanan' is a form of St. Daboec heather, also known as Irish heather and Cantabrian Heather. This pretty heather is an evergreen undershrub with a creeping, dense but flexible habit. Its flowering bells, which last from May to October, are its main feature. Its elliptical to oval flowers, ranging from a beautiful purple-pink to red, burst above the foliage. When conditions are favourable, it forms lovely ground-cover for rockeries, borders, and rural hedges in a naturalistic garden.

Daboecia x scotica 'William Buchanan', from the Ericaceae family, is native to Western Europe, specifically Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and the Azores Islands. It grows spontaneously on the edge of woodlands and heathlands, on acidic, sandy, or peaty soils, which are poor but don't dry out. This hardy heather can withstand temperatures of around -15 to -18°C (5 to -0.4°F), or even -20°C (-4°F).

Its habit is spreading, carried by prostrate, hairy, and glandulous branches at the top, which partially straighten up. At maturity, the plant will measure an average height of 30cm (12in) with a relative spread of 50cm (20in). Its small ovate-elliptical leaves, 1cm (0.4 in) long and 4 to 5mm (0.2in) wide, are evergreen, single, leathery, and alternately arranged on the branches. Green and shiny on the upper side, they are fuzzy and curl up on the edges on the reverse side. The long-lasting flowering begins in May and only ends in September-October. Gathered in loose terminal clusters of 3 to 8 units, the flowers are charming pendant bells, measuring 8mm (0.3 in) long and 3 to 4mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) in diameter. Their colour is purple-pink. This nectar-producing flowering attracts and nourishes many pollinating insects.

Hardy, tolerant of very poor and very acidic soils, it is an ideal small bush. It can be planted in an alpine garden but also by the seaside, planted en masse to vegetate a rockery, or a sandy slope where few plants are able to grow. It can be planted with Armeria maritima, Azorella, other heathers such as Calluna, or Asteriscus maritimus. It can also be grown in a pot on a terrace or balcony for its slightly wild appearance and long-lasting pink flowering: choose a large enough container and keep the (exclusively acidic) substrate always moist.