Erica glauca was named for its glaucous or grey-blue leaves covered in a bloom. The leaves of E. glauca var. elegans grow in groups of three, ascending or slightly spreading, usually curving in at their pointed tips. The leaves are nearly cylindrical and narrow, those immediately below the flowers bigger and changed in shape.

This plant is found in cultivation and easy to grow, but not seen in gardens as often as it might be (Baker and Oliver, 1967; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iSpot).