Erica australis

Erica australis, the Spanish heath or Spanish tree heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to the western Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Western Spain) and Northwest Africa (in Morocco). It is a bushy evergreen shrub growing to 2 m (6.6 ft) tall and broad, with tiny needle-like leaves and pink to purple bell-shaped flowers in late Spring. As a calcifuge, it requires sharply drained acidic soil in full sun. It is hardy down to −10 °C (14 °F).

Erica australis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Erica
Species:
E. australis
Binomial name
Erica australis

The Latin specific epithet australis means “southern” - in this case, southern Europe (and northwestern Morocco).[2]

This plant is cultivated as an ornamental, and has produced numerous forms and cultivars. gaining the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit for E. australis ‘Mr Robert’.[3][4]

References

  1. "Erica australis". International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  2. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 184533731X.
  3. "RHS Plantfinder - Erica australis 'Riverslea'". Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  4. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 35. Retrieved 16 February 2018.

Media related to Erica australis at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.