Dwarf shrubby perennial of the Ericaceae family, Cassiope 'Edinburgh' is a hybrid cultivar obtained at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, resulting from a cross between Cassiope fastigiata and Cassiope wardii. It is named after the Scottish city where it was selected, and is part of the long tradition of British botanical gardens in working on this alpine and northern genus.
It is distinguished from the 'Askival' lineage cultivars by a slightly more upright and slender habit, with stems rising up to 20 to 25 cm, while maintaining a dense and well-branched character. The foliage consists of small scaly leaves, closely applied to the stems, of a dark green persistent color with slightly glaucous reflections depending on the light.
The flowers are beautiful drooping bells, of pure white, borne on slender reddish peduncles that contrast pleasantly with the dark foliage. They are generally well open, with slightly flared lobes, giving them a particularly neat appearance.
In cultivation, flowering extends from April to May. Like the entire genus, it requires an acidic, peaty, humus-rich soil, constantly fresh to moist, well-drained on the surface, in partial shade or under filtered light. It tolerates neither limestone nor summer drought, and finds its place in heather gardens and rockeries in oceanic or mountain climates.