Daboecia cantabrica (Irish heath)

Japanese name: ダボエキア カンタブリカ
Scientific name: Daboecia cantabrica

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 40–60 cm tall.
It branches freely, and the branches bear glandular hairs.
The leaves are simple and alternate, ovate to elliptic, 0.6–1.2 cm long; the upper surface is glossy dark green with sparse hairs, and the underside is densely covered with white woolly hairs.
The leaf margin is entire.
The petiole is very short and indistinct.
In its native range it flowers from early summer to autumn, but in Japan it mostly flowers in two seasons, early summer and autumn.
Racemes 7.5–12 cm long are produced at the branch tips.
The flowers are urn-shaped, about 1 cm long, shallowly 4-lobed at the tip, and reddish purple.
The calyx is also 4-lobed.
The calyx, flower stalks and inflorescence bear glandular hairs.
There are 8 stamens.
The fruit is a capsule with 4 chambers.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings or division.
It dislikes heat and humidity, and although it is cold-hardy, it dislikes strong cold winds.
Avoid dry places as well.
It prefers acidic soil that is sunny, airy and well drained.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long sunny spell and the soil dries out.
In spring and autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil.
In early summer, after flowering, cutting it back hard to about half its height makes it easier to get through summer, tidies the shape, and makes it flower more readily in autumn.
Pests include scale insects and aphids.

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