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Sub-shrub of the Ericaceae family, native to the Atlantic zones of Western Europe: Ireland, northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, and Cantabrian Mountains, which gave it its name. It colonizes open heaths and acidic grasslands on poor, well-drained siliceous soils, from sea level to mountain levels, where regular snow cover ensures its winter protection.
It forms a spreading and sparse bush, 20 to 40 cm in height, with woody stems at the base. The foliage is evergreen, composed of small narrow leaves, dark green on the upper side and whitish underneath.
The flowers are noticeably larger than those of neighboring Calluna or Erica: urn-shaped, oval, and swollen corollas, from pink-purple to lilac, borne in loose clusters at the top of the branches. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to September.
In cultivation, it requires an acidic, well-drained soil low in lime. In regions with cold winters without reliable snow cover, the evergreen leaves may suffer from dehydration due to combined frost and dry wind. It is more comfortable in an Atlantic climate or under regular snow cover.