Be aware that the invasive weed Spanish heath, is now in flower and easily misidentified for the native heath especially the white form. Our Nursery Manager, Adele Richardson has this information to share for identifying these common plants

Botanic Name: Epacris impressa

Common Name: Common Heath

The Victorian Flora Emblem and out in flower during winter. In the foothills from Beaconsfield to Neerim South the colour tends to be deep pink to almost red. In the lower areas of the Catchment, from Labertouche to Cannons crk is the white variety. It is likely that there are mixed colours in some areas due to the interaction of different soil types close to Bioregion boundaries. Honeyeater birds, particularly the eastern spinebill, feed upon the nectar of the flowers. Epacris leaves are alternately arranged separately along the stems.

Botanic Name: Erica lusitanica

Common Name: Spanish Heath

Origin: Western Europe

Highly flammable and a declared noxious weed in Tasmania. The leaves occur together in whorls of three or four at the stem nodes, small, green and relatively narrow 4–7 mm long, c. 0.5 mm wide.

The flowers are in pendulous clusters of 2-4 on the ends of very short side branchlets and vary from white to pinkish.

More information on Spanish Heath can be found here: https://www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/directory_record/3771/spanish_heath