Ericaceae - Heath Family

Ericaceae - Heath Family

The Heath Family (Ericaceae) contains about 100 genera and 3350 species of shrubs, trees, and perennial herbs. They are distributed throughout cooler regions of both hemispheres. Many cultivated ornamental plants such as Rhododendron and Azalea belong to this family. Blueberries and cranberries (Vaccinium) also belong to this family.
The regular flowers usually have a 5-lobed calyx and a corolla of either 5 lobes or 5 separate petals, with 5 or 10 stamens. The fruit is fleshy or dry, and usually partitioned into 5 seed-producing divisions. The “wood” of these plants is very dense, frequently resinous. The leaves are resinous too, and often glossy on the upper surface.
Ericaceae are excellent for native gardens, particularly Western Azalea and Huckleberry.

Guide to Identify Presented Species of the Heath Family

LOW, MAT-FORMING SHRUBS, LEAVES VERY SMALL AND NEEDLE-LIKE

Cassiope mertensiana - White Mountain-heather
Dwarf, evergreen shrub, 5-15 cm tall. Moist sites, montane to alpine.
Flowers white, bell-shaped, 4-7 mm long, nodding, on 10-25 mm long stalks.
Leaves scale-like, thick, 2-5 mm long, in 4 vertical rows obscuring stem.

Phyllodoce empetriformis - Pink Mountain-heather
Dwarf, evergreen shrub, 10-40 cm tall. Moist, open sites, montane-alpine.
Flowers pink, bell-shaped, 5-8 mm long, with short, rolled back lobes.
Leaves alternate, needle-like, 5-12 mm long, crowded like a bottle brush.

Phyllodoce glanduliflora - Yellow Mountain-heather
Dwarf, evergreen shrub, 10-40 cm tall. Moist, open sites, montane-alpine.
Flowers greenish- to yellowish-white, urn-shaped, 5-7 mm long, glandular-hairy.
Leaves alternate, needle-like, 6-12 mm long, crowded like a bottle brush.

LOW, MAT-FORMING SHRUBS, LEAVES BROADER

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi - Bearberry
Evergreen, trailing shrub, 5-15 cm tall. Well-drained, mostly wooded areas.
Flowers pink, about 5 mm long, in clusters, the corolla urn-shaped, 5-lobed.
Leaves alternate, spoon-shaped, 1.5-3 cm long, dark green and glossy above.

Kalmia microphylla - Alpine Laurel
Dwarf, evergreen shrub, 5-20 cm tall. Moist to wet sites, subalpine and alpine.
Flowers deep pinkish-rose, 5-12 mm broad, with broad, shallow lobes.
Leaves opposite, dark green, glossy above, narrowly elliptic, 1-2 cm long.

LEAVES LEATHERY, IN WHORLS AROUND STEM, BASAL LACKING

Chimaphila umbellata - Prince's Pine
Evergreen shrub, 10-30 cm tall. Dry, coniferous woods, foothills to montane.
Flowers light pink, waxy, 10-15 mm wide, nodding, few on raised stems.
Leaves in whorls of 3-8, narrowly spoon-shaped, sharply toothed.

HERBS, LEAVES LEATHERY, ALL BASAL OR ON LOWER PART OF STEM

Moneses uniflora - One-flowered Wintergreen
Evergreen herb, 3-15 cm tall. Moist woods, montane to subalpine zone.
Flowers white, single and terminal, nodding, fragrant, 1.5-2.5 cm broad.
Leaves basal, the blades almost round, 1-2.5 cm long, tapering to the stalks.

Orthilia secunda - One-sided Wintergreen
Evergreen herb, 5-20 cm tall. Moist to dry sites in woods, montane-subalpine.
Flowers whitish, bell-shaped, 4-6 mm wide, nodding, in narrow, 1-sided spikes.
Leaves on lower part of stem, rounded, stalks shorter than the blades.

Pyrola asarifolia - Pink Wintergreen
Evergreen herb, 10-30 cm tall. Moist, usually wooded sites, foothills-subalpine.
Flowers pale pink, 8-12 mm wide, with a long, curved, projecting style.
Leaves in basal rosettes, leathery, shiny, broadly elliptic to heart-shaped.

Pyrola chlorantha - Green-flowered Wintergreen
Evergreen herb, 10-25 cm tall. Coniferous forests, usually where moist.
Flowers yellowish- to greenish-white. Calyx lobes broad, rounded. Style curved.
Leaves basal, 10-25 mm long, usually with very small, rounded teeth.

Pyrola picta - White-veined Wintergreen
Evergreen herb, 10-25 cm tall, stems reddish. Coniferous forests.
Flowers greenish-white, about 1 cm wide. Sepals reddish, pointed.
Leaves basal, grayish-mottled on the main veins, tapering to the stalks.

TALLER SHRUBS WITH LEATHERY LEAVES AND SHOWY FLOWERS

Ledum glandulosum - Trapper's Tea
Evergreen, leafy shrub, 40-80 cm tall. Moist to wet sites, montane to subalpine.
Flowers white, 10-15 mm wide, in dense, rounded clusters. Stamens long.
Leaves 1.5-4 cm long, elliptic-oblong, mealy below, with edges rolled under.

FLOWERS URN-SHAPED, SHRUBS WITHOUT BERRIES, LEAVES NOT EVERGREEN

Menziesia ferruginea - False Azalea
Shrub 50-200 cm tall. Moist woods, foothills to montane zone.
Flowers yellowish-red, 6-8 mm long, nodding, urn-shaped, stalks 1-2 cm long.
Leaves thin, light- to blue-green and usually brownish-hairy, 4-6 cm long.

FLOWERS URN-SHAPED, SHRUBS WITH BERRIES, LEAVES NOT EVERGREEN

Vaccinium scoparium - Grouseberry
Small shrub, 10-35 cm tall, with red, tasty berries. Higher elevations.
Flowers pinkish, about 4 mm long, nodding, on stalks 2-2.5 mm long.
Leaves alternate, 8-15 mm long, thin, finely sharp-toothed, light-green, hairless.

Alphabetical listing with links to presented species of the Heath family:

Scientific Name	English Name	Swedish Name

Arctostaphylos A. uva-ursi Cassiope C. mertensiana Chimaphila C. umbellata Kalmia K. microphylla Ledum L. glandulosum Menziesia M. ferruginea Moneses M. uniflora Orthilia O. secunda Phyllodoce P. empetriformis P. glanduliflora Pyrola P. asarifolia P. chlorantha P. picta Vaccinium V. scoparium	Bearberry Bearberry Heather White Mountain-heather Prince's Pine Prince's Pine Laurel Alpine Laurel Labrador Tea Trapper's Tea False Huckleberry False Azalea Wintergreen One-flowered Wintergreen Wintergreen One-sided Wintergreen Mountain Heath Pink Mountain-heath Yellow Mountain-heath Wintergreen Pink Wintergreen Green-flowered Wintergreen White-veined Wintergreen Blueberry Grouseberry	Mjölon Mjölon Kantljungar - Rylar Ryl - - - - - - Ögonpyrolor Ögonpyrola Björkpyrolor Björkpyrola Lappljungar - - Pyrolor - Grönpyrola - Skogsbär -

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Contents

English Names Index

Scientific Names Index

Family Index