Common Heath(Epacris impressa) is a native Australian shrub, growing in the southeast coastal heathlands, montane and sub-alpine regions. It usually forms drifts of colonies standing out so prominently from their surrounds that it is impossible to miss them.
Common heath is named such due to its widespread distribution.The man responsible for naming the common heath, Jacques Labillardière collected the first specimen in 1793 somewhere in Tasmania when he was on an expedition endorsed by Napoleon.
The Common Health shrub has stiff branches with rigid, small alternate leaves. Its leaves are stalkless and fairly narrow. They range from 4 to 16 mm in length and are sharply pointed.
The flowers are always narrow and tubular in shape. They are arranged singly in the leaf axils and are often so densely packed around the stem that the cluster of flowers assumes a cylindrical brushlike appearance. On other specimens, flowers may be sparsely arranged on only one side of the stem. Flowering occurs from late autumn to late spring, reaching a peak in winter. Honeybirds frequent the flowers as they contain sweet nectar at the bottom and pollen near its opening. Common Heath has many color forms and the pink form is proclaimed as Victoria's floral emblem.
The fruit is a capsule which splits to release minute seeds.
