About Daboecia cantabrica (Huds.) K.Koch
This species, Daboecia cantabrica (Huds.) K.Koch, produces urn-shaped flowers in white, pink, and red shades. Plants in the genus Daboecia differ from European Erica species by having a substantially larger corolla. All Daboecia leaves are always alternate, never arranged in whorls. The generic name Daboecia is derived from the Irish Saint Dabheog. Daboecia has an oceanic distribution across western Europe, including western Ireland, western France, northwestern Spain, northwestern mainland Portugal, and the Central Group of the Azores. Like species of Erica and Calluna, Daboecia are calcifuges. They can tolerate neutral soils, but avoid peat. In western Ireland, the plant is also found growing on mountain trails and roadsides; it was introduced to this area by medieval traders transporting Spanish wine. The two recognized Daboecia species have been extensively cultivated and hybridized to create a number of popular garden plants. Cultivars include selections from the hybrid between the two species, which is formally named Daboecia × scotica. Three cultivars have received and retained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, confirmed in 2017: D. cantabrica 'Waley's Red', D. cantabrica subsp. scotica 'Silverwells', and D. cantabrica subsp. scotica 'William Hicks'.
