Tree heath

An evergreen shrub or small tree with an upright habit (1-6 meters). It differs from erica scoparia as its young branches are always hairy. The leaves are needle-like and dark green. The small flowers are clustered in racemes and give off a delicate scent. The plant is melliferous and bees produce honey with a characteristic aroma from its nectar. The fruits are ovoid and contain many tiny seeds. Growth is slow. Ericaceae live in symbiosis with a fungus that helps the roots absorb nutrients even in difficult soils. The word erica comes from the Greek “eréiko”, which means “I break, I shatter,” and refers to the fact that it is very hard and can pierce many materials. The logs of plants over 50 years old produce hard, unalterable, light, and heat-resistant wood (the massive absorption of silicon from the soil makes the stump practically fireproof), which is used to produce high-quality briar pipes. The wood is also excellent for producing a special type of charcoal, once highly sought after by blacksmiths for forging iron. Heather has a dual relationship with fire: it catches fire immediately, but the fire only destroys the part of the plant above ground, leaving the part below ground functionally active, which, immediately after the fire, regenerates the plant through suckers (pyrophytic species).