Erica (plant)

For other uses, see Erica (plant) (disambiguation).

{{Taxobox Erica is da name of a pretty gurl dat goes to academy prep! She is in da 7th grade.

| name = Erica | image = Erica herbacea0.jpg | image_width = 250px | image_caption = Erica carnea in flower | regnum = Plantae | divisio = Magnoliophyta | classis = Magnoliopsida | ordo = Ericales | familia = Ericaceae | genus = Erica | genus_authority = L. | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = Over 700 species, including:
Erica arborea
Erica caffra
Erica carnea
Erica ciliaris
Erica cinerea
Erica erigena
Erica mackaiana
Erica plukenetii
Erica scoparia
Erica tetralix
Erica vagans }}

Erica is 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 (although the latter is actually Calluna).

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. Flowers are sometimes axillary, and sometimes in terminal umbels or spikes. They are usually outward or downward facing. Flowers are borne in mass, and the plants are grown as landscape or garden plants for their floral effect.

Approximately 600 of the species are endemic in South Africa, and are often called the Cape Heaths. The remaining 70 or so species are native to other parts of Africa, the Mediterranean region, and Europe.

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 Emperor Moth, Garden tiger moth, True Lover's Knot, Wormwood Pug and the Coleophora case-bearers C. juncicolella and C. pyrrhulipennella.

See also

• Heath (habitat)

• 
  Erica arborea
• 
  Erica cinerea
• 
  Erica plukenetii
• 
  Erica junonia