It is a heather...Calluna vulgaris I believe. In UK the garden centres sell this hideous /poor /tortured plant The leaves and flower are spray painted with vivid colours.....lime green, yellow, purple, bright pink or a blue. It is very obvious as even parts of the pots get sprayed! Why do they do it? .....people must buy them! There should be a society formed to prevent cruelty to real, live, healthy plants! Now they have reached Tenerife. Next time I see a table full I will try to get a pic. Meanwhile see link. heather spray painted - Google Search The Heather Society | Growing & Aftercare FAQ Quote heather society..see link above. Quote.... "Painted" or "dyed" heathers are heathers, almost always plants of Calluna vulgaris (ling or Scotch heather), which have been sprayed all over with a dye. Therefore, instead of being the typical darkish green one expects of a living heather, they are garishly coloured: bright, florescent blue, red, yellow, orange and pale green. The dyes used are evidently water- and weatherproof because they do not wash off in rain. The colouring also appears not to fade in sunlight. Information about the dyes used is difficult to obtain, apart from the general assertion that they are "food dyes". To be effective, the dye has to be sprayed all over the heather. This treatment cannot be good for a living plant. Any plants I have purchased have been dead within a short time. The dyes are undoubtedly harmful to the plants by inhibiting photosynthesis and transpiration. "Painted" heathers need the same growing conditions that all Calluna cultivars require: lime-free, moist soil and full sunlight. They are frost-hardy. These artificially dyed plants are not indoor plants - they should be grown outdoors either planted in a container (tub, window-box) or into a flower-bed. However the garish colours are not appropriate for most garden situations. What happens next? Providing the heather is alive and lives, new shoots should appear in spring. These will not be coated with the dye so they should be green (or turn green). Gradually the dyed foliage should be shed and a fully green plant will gradually develop. In short, "painted" or "dyed" heathers are as artificial as plastic flowers - heather enthusiasts should not be tempted to waste money on them."
@Silver surfer Sad as it is, it seems to be a growing trend in the florist business. Succulents are another victim: spray painted succulents - Google Search
That Google Search page is depressing, seeing how many hits there are. Nature does a fine job on its own - here are Puya berteroana: IMG_0150_20081110_SydneyMtTomah_Puya_Cutler and Strongylodon macrobotrys 20091104_Hawaii_HolualoaGarden_JadeVine_Cutler_ 153
Must also be raised in very artificial conditions, as Calluna vulgaris flowers in August, not November (that's why I suggested Erica carnea, as that does flower at this time of year!)
