Erica spp. is an evergreen shrub that hardly reaches one meter in height. However, Macaronesian and Mediterranean varieties can reach a height of more than 5 meters. Erica is a genus of about 857 species[1] of flowering plants in the Ericaceae family.
Most Erica species are native to South Africa; the rest are familiar in the Mediterranean, Madagascar, and Europe. The needle-like, narrow, and short leaves of Erica lead to the adjective ericoid, which applies to any plant whose habit or leaves superficially resemble heather.
