Habitat

• native to Europe
• hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

• a small, evergreen shrub
• 6" to 12" tall
• width at least twice the height
• long prostrate branches
• slow growth rate
• medium texture

Summer Foliage

• alternate arranged leaves
• simple, evergreen leaves
• leaves are up to 1" long and very narrow
• oblanceolate leaf shape
• cuneate leaf margin
• dark green leaf color
• glaucous underside

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color, evergreen

Flowers

• bright pink flowers
• 0.5" across
• fragrant
• blooms in April and sporadic in summer
• flowers are clustered in umbels

Fruit

• brown drupe
• rarely fruits
• not ornamentally important

Bark

• somewhat squared stems
• reddish brown in color

Culture

• transplant from containers
• prefers well-drained, moist, pH neutral soil
• shade
• prune after flowering

Landscape Use

• for fragrance
• groundcover
• rock garden
• for flowering effect

Liabilities

• leaf spot
• crown rots
• cankers

ID Features

• crescent shape leaf scar
• sessile buds with 4 to 6 exposed scales
• evergreen, narrow leaves
• alternate leaf arrangement
• pink flowers
• prostrate growth

Propagation

• by cuttings
• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

'Alba' - This form is more dwarf in stature and bears white blooms.

'Eximia' - This is an attractive deep pink-flowered selection with slightly larger blooms and leaves.

'Pygmaea' and 'Pygmaea Alba' - These are prostrate forms with smaller leaves and mature sizes, the former bearing white blooms.

'Ruby Glow' - This cultivar only reaches 1' tall and offers dark pink blooms.

'Variegata' (also seen as 'Albomarginata') - This form is very strong-growing for a variegated plant, as the fine-textured, small leaves are edged with white. Other traits are as per the species.