Daboecia cantabrica

( dab - oh - EESH - uh      kant - uh - BRICK - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This shrub is native to Europe, and prefers partial shade, or full sun in cooler climates and regular water. This is a slightly spreading plant with dark green leaves and pinkish egg-shaped flowers that hang from stems in narrow clusters in late spring and early fall. This shrub is commonly called Irish Heath or St. Daboec's Heath. Bees frequent these shrubs. 

daboecia cantabrica Varietals

The genus Daboecia includes two species, one of which is described here, and is closely related to the genus Erica. Both are members of the family Ericaceae. Irish Heath is, as its common name suggests, native to Ireland as well as Portugal, Spain, and France. Irish Heath grows best in zones 3b-9 and 14-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
Daboecia cantabrica alba
White flowering shrub.
Daboecia cantabrica 'Waley's Red'
​Magenta blooms.
Daboecia cantabrica 'Cinderella'
With bicolored white and pink flowers and gray-green leaves.
Daboecia cantabrica scotica 'William Buchanan'
Low-grower (up to 10 inches tall) and reddish purple blossoms.
Daboecia cantabrica scotica 'William Buchanan Gold'
Low-grower that has yellow-variegated foliage.

Caring for and pruning daboecia cantabrica shrubs

Grow Daboecia cantabrica in full sun exposure in soil that is well-draining and has a pH of 4.6 to 5.4. Protect from strong winds, and plant about a foot apart when planting in masse. Water regularly for best performance, and fertilize yearly with a slow-release water-soluble balanced fertilizer. Pruning is done yearly, when the plant is cut down to the base in early springtime after the danger of frost has passed by. Deadhead as necessary during the blooming season to keep a neat appearance.

Propagation

Daboecia cantabrica can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Daboecia cantabrica by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth on your propagated shrub, you'll know you have roots.
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Daboecia cantabrica by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant, and if you are attempting to grow a hybrid variety from seed, that the seeds may not be viable. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. Once the seed pods have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
  3. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-3 months from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

​Irish Heath seed pods, not quite yet ready to spill their seeds.

Problems and Pests

Daboecia cantabrica does not suffer from pest or disease issues.
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Gallery

Irish Heath adds color and delicateness to flower beds.
Grow different varieties of Irish Heath next to each other for mounds of color.
Bees love Irish Heath flowers.

Videos

What's the difference between Heath and Heather?
A video all about Irish Heath.

Resources

How to Grow Heather Plants in your Garden
Growing Daobecia in Containers
Wikipedia: Daboecia
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 278, Daboecia cantabrica (Irish Heath)
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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