Erica arborea
Common name
tree heath
Family
Ericaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
ERIARB
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Terrestrial. Riverbanks and regenerating forest.
Detailed description
Shrub or small tree to about 5 m. Shoots densely hairy. Leaves 3-7 mm long. Small white bell-shaped flowers in racemes along the stems. Seed capsule about 2 mm long, each containing many very small seeds.
Similar taxa
Is very similar to E. lusitanica but can be easily distinguished by the hairy stems and much larger growth form.
Flowering
July, August, September, October, November, December,
Flower colours
White
Year naturalised
1935
Origin
Mediterranean region to highlands of E. Africa
Etymology
erica: From the Greek ereika ‘heath’ or ‘heather’
arborea: From the Latin arbor ‘tree’, meaning tree-like
Reason For Introduction
Ornamental