Daboecia cantabrica 'Bicolor'

RHS Plant Profile
Irish heath 'Bicolor'

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Irish heath 'Bicolor' RHS 2001
Irish heath 'Bicolor' RHS / Joanna Kossak
Shrubs

A spreading evergreen dwarf shrub with small ovate dark green leaves and long racemes of urn-shaped flowers 10mm in length, which may be purple, white or striped with both colours

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5
Drought Resistance
Yes

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Ericaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Daboecia are dwarf evergreen shrubs with small, leathery dark green leaves, paler beneath, and terminal racemes or panicles of relatively large, nodding, urn-shaped flowers from early summer to autumn
Name Status
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grows well in acidic soils in full sun. See Hardy heathers for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Low Maintenance
  • Banks and slopes
  • Ground cover

Pruning

Pruning group 10

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to Phytophthora root diseases