Heath (original) (raw)

Heath is the common name for plants of the genus Erica, which are mostly small shrubs. They are native to Europe, the Mediterranean region, and to southern Africa. The members of this southern African group are often called the Cape Heaths. A related genus, Daboecia, is also often called a heath. The closely related heather, genus Calluna, is sometimes confused with the true heaths.

One of the tallest members of the genus is the Heath Tree.

Heath is also the name of a habitat in northern Europe where heather and heath plants are the dominant vegetation. This habitat is often maintained artificially by grazing, burning, and other means. One of the biggest heaths is the Lueneburg Heath in northern Germany, though the German word is heide.

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