Erica
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| Erica | ||||||||||||
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 Erica tetralix in flower | ||||||||||||
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Over 700 species, including: |
Erica is a genus of over 700 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae; the English names, both shared with some other closely related plants, are heath or heather. Most of the species are small shrubs from 0.2-1.5 m high, though some are taller; the tallest are E. arborea (Tree Heath) and E. scoparia (Besom Heath), both of which can reach up to 6-7 m tall. All are evergreen, with minute needle-like leaves 2-15 mm long.
The great majority of the species are endemic in South Africa; the remaining 70 or so species are native to other parts of Africa, the Mediterranean region, and Europe. The members of the large southern African group are often called the Cape Heaths.
The closely related genus Calluna is sometimes confused with the true Erica species; it differs in even smaller scale leaves less than 2-3 mm long, and the flower corolla being more divided into separate petals.
Plants of this genus are eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including True Lover's Knot.
See also
Erica is also a feminine forename, named after the plant.
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