Erica erigena, the Irish heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to cliffs and heathland in Ireland, southwestern France, Spain, Portugal and Tangier. It is a compact evergreen shrub growing to , with somewhat brittle foliage and deep pink honey-scented flowers in winter and spring. Its appearance in the far west of Ireland, separated from the main Mediterranean populations, suggests a garden escape.

The leaves are 4-whorled, measuring 5 - 8 mm in length and turning dark green at maturity.

In cultivation, it is often seen as groundcover amongst dwarf conifers.  Like others of its kind, it is a calcifuge, preferring an open sunny site with well-drained acid soil. Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit: 
Erica erigena 'Irish Dusk' 
Erica erigena f. alba 'W.T. Rackliff' (white-flowered)

References

erigena